J'A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. 1.0 I.I 11.25 l^|2£ |2.5 150 ■^™ NI9K 22 M 18 U 111.6 wm CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Ties. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microraproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of thin copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. L'Institut a mi crofilm6 le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains dAfauts susceptibles de nuire A la quality de la reproduction sont notte ci-dessous. D Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur D Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en coL.sur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tachet6es ou piquies D Coloured platen/ Planches en cov >ur r~7i Show through/ Transparence Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serr6 (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppldmantaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques D D D Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Sound with other material/ RftfiS avec d'autres documents Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque D D D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pages missing/ Des pages manquent Maps missing/ Des cartes g6ographlques manquent D Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Additional comments/ Commentaires supplAmentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la netteti de I'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^ (meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivant^^ apparaftra sur la der- nidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -*- signifie "A S^JIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: Library of the Public Archives of Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed b ^ginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the rrethod: L'exemplaira filmd fut reproriuif. grSce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'dtcblissement iirdteur suivant : La bibliothAque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul cliche sont fiimdes d partir de I'angle sup^rieure gauche, de yauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la m^thode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 i "7/ . ^ //. ]^0V A'soOTf A, t:? IN ITS |?lori^at, |tep„fil, and |n(Iu^'friat |lafionfi, t BY DUNCAN CAMPBELL, HALIFAX, N.S, yVloNTREAL: JOHX LOVELL. 23 and 25 ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 1873. nf^ Kntered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, by Dxjncan Campbrll, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture and Statistics at Ottawa. $11/ Printed and Bound by John LnvcU, 83 anil 2.') St. Klcholiu Street. Montrenl. PREFACE. There are already two historical works on Nova Scotia — one by Thomas C. Haliburton, and the other by Beam- ish Murdoch, both natives of the Province ; the foraier an author of unquestionable genius, and the latter one who bequeaths to liis country a work containing, in three volumes, a body of facts, in chronological order, which will continue to be consulted in coming generations as a valuable literary deposit. The interesting narrative of Haliburton closes wath the year 1763 — embracing only two hundred and forty-two pages — the latter part of his first volume consisting of a chronological table of events, extending from 1763 to ]S28, and his second volume being devoted to a Statistical account of the Province. Mr. Murdoch's history, so far as published, comes down to the year 1828. While the writer has availed himself of the labors of his predecessors, he hopes the structure of his story, as well as much of the matter which it embodies, will be found so different from the nan'atives already produced, as not to be chargeable with undue sameness. To coun- terbalance the advantage of at least one half of his work being occupied with transactions and facts, of which no previous attempt to give a connected narrative has been made, he has encountered the difficulty, on the one hand, of imparting freshness to a theme whose events have transpired in the present generation, and, on the other, of avoiding exposure to the charge of partiality, in treating of a time when the political fermentation, occa- sioned by these events, has not entirely subsided. When the work was undertaken, the writer expected that long before sending it to press, the Dom.inion Census of 1871 would have been published, in all its important details — thus supplying valuable data for determining the last decennial progress of the Province in its mercantile. 4 J PR i" PACE. agricultural, and manufacturing interests. Only one volume, ho\vever, of the tivc of whicii that work is to consist, has yet appeared. The limits of thiS boolv have occasioned the omission of much mattm* whicli might prove both interesting and instructive. A greater degree of condensation would have rectifiL'd tliis to some extent, but there might be a corresponding loss in readableness — a characteristic which it \va8 the desire of the writer, if possible, to ensure. In giving a nuudjer of biogi-aphies, only a slight exca- vation has been juade in a mine in which, it is to be hoped, some ^nore compet. nt hand will find employment — many departed native worthies not having been even mentioned, whose lives deserve a j-ermanent recoi'd. The analyses of tlui various coal measures, to be found in the Appendix, have been either furnished by proprie- tors or agents of the respective mines, or taken from reports of the Commissioner of Public Works. The copious Index has been prepared with much care id Jabo purpose. een p , will and labor, and, it is hoped, will be found to answer its The persons to whom the writer has been indebted for assistance are too numerous to mention, but he desires to express his special obligations to Mr. Thomas Beamish Akins, D.C.L., not only for much useful information, but also for access to his excellent library, mainly consisting of a most extensive and valuable collection of books bearing on the Continent of America. He is indebted to the Local Government for access to the unpublished records of the Province, and the temporary use of books and documents from the Legislative Library, of which they are the immediate custodians; also to tlie Governors of King's College, Windsor, for the perusal of prize essays, in manuscript, on some of the Counties of the Province, and to Messrs. Venables and Creed, librarians, for their invariable courtesy and kindness. Halifax, October, 1873. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Discovery of America — St'bastifin Cabot- H is voyages— The Ii dians —Their origin — Early civilization— Tlie Mic-Macd — Their inau- iiers and custoins — Tlie wigwam — Indian etiquette — Condition of tiie women — Craving for excitement — Their Language— lleligion —Belief in supernatural agencies — Traditions— Population — Mode of living— Treatment liy the Government- Indian settli'mcnts in the Dominion 13 CIIAPTEE II. Baron de Lery'e attempt to make a settlenient— Landing of Verazano at Cape Breton — Hubert Thome's vc ya:^e — Jacques Cartier's voy- age up the St. Lawrencc--Mr. Here's expedition — Sufferings of the party on Newfoundland— Their rescue — Earlv settlement of Cape Breton — The Fisheries — First vo /age of Sir Humphrey Gil- bert—His second vcjuge — The Iost of the " Squirrel " — Attempt at colonization by the Marquis de la Roohe— Sufferings of the ex- pedition at Sable Island — Sable Island— Its natural features — Its wild horses — The wreck of the "Arno" — Arrival of Sieur de Moiits — He sails up the Annapolis Basin — Beauty of the ncener}' — Poutrincourt resolves to settle in Annapolis — De Monts ascends St. John river — Winters on the Island ot St. Croix— Suffering's of the colonists — Arrival of Pontgrave from France — De Monts re- turns to France— Discovery of the wild vine at Annapolis — Ntws from France— Departure of the colonists from Port Royal— Ar- rival at France — Return of Poutrincourt — Baptism of the Indians —Arrival of J suits from France — They settle m Penobscot— Capt. Argal's attack on Penobscot— He destroys Port Royal— Death of Poutrincourt— LcBcarbot's History of the French Colonies in America 27 CHAPTER III. Sir William Alexander— Receives a grant from James I, and sails for Nova Scotia — Sir David Kirk takes Port Royal — Defeats the French fleet — Surrender of Quebec— Claude de la Tour — Hia efforts to seduce his son from French allegiance — Treaty of St. Germaine — Restorj^tion of territory to France — Arrival of the French Governor — Division of the province between Charnise and Cliarles de hi Tour — Their rivalry and disputes— La Tour gets aid from tht Bostonians — Capitulation of La Tour's fort to Charnise — His cruelty to the garrison — Death of Madame de la Tour — Death of Charnise — La Tour succeeds him as Governor — Seizure of the French forts by Major Sedgewick — Oliver Crom- well's j'-^licy— Death of La Tour— Limits of Nova Scotia— Efforts of the i^'rench to regain it — Their success— Reluctance of Sir Thomas Temple to give it up — Progress of the province — Popu- lation — Character of the French governor — Taxation of coal — War between France and England— Sir Willia'i Pliips— He com- mands expedition from Boston to attack Pori Royal — Surrender of the fort — Revocation of the conditions of capitulation by Sir William Phips — He attacks Quebec— Disasters of the expecfition —Barbarities practised by the Indians on English settlers — Nova CONTENTS. f^i'C/tiii a^aiii trniisliricd to France liv the trculy (iI'lTy.-wicK- — War iiirniii I'.pfliireii— All exneclitioii I'roiii BoHtdii attacks I'oit Roval 1111(1 is repulsed— M. Sunercaso— lie strengtheiiH Port Royal— Ills etloitrt to colonize tlie coiintrv '. -JO CIIAPTEK IV. Strontr feeliiif: in Nova Scotia against the French— Francis Nichol- son conunanils an exjieditioii directed ajjiainst Port. Royal — Condition of the jrarrison — Cajiitnlation of the I'urt — The l^ritish take i)ernianeiit iiossession ot" Port Royal— Discontent of the AcadianH under liritisii rule— Policy of Vaudreuil, Governor of Canaila — Mission of (Jcneral Nicholson to Enghuid — A Ibrniid- iilile expedition sails tor Quehec — Hneounters di.-^aster in the Gulf of St, Lawrence, and returns to England — Britain gains perman- ent posseysion of Nova Scotia by the treaty of Uti-echt— General Nicholson a[)pointed Governor — Queen Anne's letter to him — The Frencli resolve to huild a tort at Louishourg — M. l)e Costabelle invites tlic Acadianfl to settle in Cupe Breton — 'J'hey decline — M. De laKonde Denys— M. De Boularderie— Resolutions ot the Aca- dians to continue faithful to the French 'i'hroiie— 'J'hey refuse to sw^ir allegiance to the British Crown— Letters of Colonel Vetch ami Thomas Caultield — (Jeneral Phillips succeed-- (leneral Nichol- son as Governor— Philliiis' letter to the Board of Trade— His letter to Lord Cartan t— lie jiroposes a conll-r nee with the Aca- dian? — Paul Mascarene's letter to the Board t.t Trade — Cobequid — Chigneclo — Indians attack settlement atCaiif^o — The Governor's report on the state of the province CIIAPTEE V. GT Lawrence Armstrong appointed Governor — His death — Return of General Phillips — He retires to England — Succeeded by Paul Mascarene — His lite and administration — His despatch to the Secretary of State — War declared between France and Great Britain — Tlie French besiege Port Royal and relire — Fortress of Louisbourg — Its extent and position — Proposal to attack it — Governor Shirley of Massachuseus raises an expedition, com- manded by William I'epperell — 'J'lie co-operation of the tleet — Landing of the troops — The sie.ge — The capitulation — Rejoicings in New England — Capture of French prizes — Mortality among the troops — The French take measures to recapture Louisbourg — Duke D'Anville's expedition— Partial destruction of the fleet — Arrival at Halifax— Death of D'Anville— Death of Admiral D'Es- tournelle — Return of the tleet to France — Governor Mascarene's policy towards the Acadians — Failure of Ji. Marin's expedition — De Raniazay captures Grand Pre — Treaty of Aix-la-Cliapelle — Restoration "of Cape Breton to France 84 CHAPTER VI. Inducements otlered to eniigianfs— Lord Halifax— Arrival of Corn- wallis at Halifax — Early settlement of tlie town— Lieut. John Croighton — Spread of disease in the colony— Its causes — Installa- tion of Governor Cornwallis — Appointment of a council— Negotia- tions with the Acadians — They present an address to the Governor — His reply — Progress of t'.e colony— Hostility of the Indians — Retaliatory measures— Josepli de la Loutre — liia hostility to the Britisli-- Letter of the Bisliop of Quebec — IjOutre's influence with CONTENTS. 40- G7 llu' Iiidiiins— ConiwalliH "^ .'turns to Eii<;'iuiil— His cliariuU'r iind iidiniiiistriitiun— Siicci'Ocli'd Itv (Jdvi'I'ikjI' li()i)S(iii — IIIh (UH|iuti;li Id tlic Loril.s (if Triulo— Arrivftf of German ('niij.'riints »• :ftilirax— ]roi)soii sails fur En'^land ami is siiccfcdt'd liy Cliarlcs Lawrcncf — Distnrliiiiuies at Luncnljiirir— Tlie *' Nova Scotia C'liroiiicle" — Expedition from IJosl mi attacks and captinrs 4''^rt JJeaiisejoiir. CHAPTER VII. 97 Tlie Acadiuns — The neccsHity for tlieir removal iVum tlic Province — The Aliljo Jlayniirs " Pliilosophical an' Political lli.-ilory" — His ('•(•ription of the Aoadians— ('hann'terof ilie Cler'.'v — Character u'liie AcadiaiiH — Tlicy finally decline to lake the oiithofalle- jrinnce — Measures for tlieir removal — Colonel Winslov,- — His ad- dress to the Acadians sU (Jraiul Pre — 'i'heiremtiarkation — Destin- ation — deception at V'ir^^inia, Carolina, \c. — The policy of the Hrltlsh Ooveriimtiit in conutction with the Acadians— Conduct of Governor Lawrence 116 CIIAPTEE Yirr. Cliic'" Justice Jonatlian Belcher — His life — Legislative jtower of Governor and Council doubted — Governor Lawrence objects to the calling of an Assend)ly — The peoi)le petition tue Crown — Jiuwrence's despatch to the Lords of Traile — Their replv — Tin' fh'st House of Assembly — The Governor's opening speech — The business of the House — .T(jnathan Binney — William Ncsbitt — War declared against France — Arrival of Admiral Holborue at Halifax — Dispersion of his lleet — Arrival ot' the fleet under Admiral Boscawen — Landing of the troops at Gabarus Hay— In- vestment of Louisbourg — Capitulatidu of the fortress — Gallant conduct of General Wolfe — His expedition to Quebe-; — The siege — Battle on the Plains of Abraham — Death of Wolfe — Death of Governor Lawrence — His character — Destiiiction of Louis!)ourg — Domestic policy of Lawrence — His ell'urts to induce immigra- tion — Division of the land — Arrival of immigrants — Jonathan Belcher succeeds to the Governorshii) — Hisdespatch to the Lords of Trade — Establishment of towiisJiips at Horton, Cornwalli? and Falmouth — Rebuilding of the dykes — IJoad-making — SociiJ condition of the people — Seltlements in Annapolis, Granville, Chester ami Dublin — Dissolution of the House of Assembly — Treaty with the Indians- -Capitulation of St. Johns, Newfound- land, to four French i',en-of-vvar — Alarm at Halifax — Measures of defence — Transp- itation of Acadians to Massachusetts, and their return — Lord Colviile takes possession of St. Johns — De- claration of peace — North America ceded (o Great Britain '33 CIIAPTEE IX. Early settlement of New England — Edueatloiuil system — Boston — Character of the jjcople — Protest of William Pitt against the passage of the Stamp Act — Alienation of the Colonists — Passive attitude of the Nova Scotians — Circular of the Massachusetts House of Representatives to House of As.^en»bly — Its reception — Tone of public opinion in Boston — Prohibition bv the Imperial Government of mining operations in Nova Scotia — Reasons there- for—Increased liostility of the Colonists to Great Britain — Bo- ginning of hostilities — Pr'Dcautionary measures of Governor Franklin — Depredations by the Colonists in tlu Bay of Fnndy — 8 CONTENTS. lie Major Lejjgc is ftnpointod Governor — His inquiry into tli^ expenditure of the Provircp — His character — New liugland pri- vateers — Independence of thf Uiiikd States — Arrival of Loyalists in Nova Scotia — The Kev. Jacol Bailey — His early lite — His arrival in Halifax — His singular apj)earance — Uev. Dr. Breyii- ton, Hector of St. Paul's — Arrival o) refugees at Annapoli.s — Death of Mr. Bailey — Civil and religious riglits of Roman Catholics — Constitution of the Province of New Brunswick — Arrival of Prince William Henry in Halifax — His reception — Charges against Judges Deschamps and Brenton — Sjx;ech ot Major Barclay — Decision of the House i jj CUAPTER X. Arrival of Governor Wentworth — Dissolution of the House of As- sembly — Declaration of war between France and England — Mea- sures for the defence of the Province — Numerical strength of the Militia — Arrival of Princi Edward in Hhlifa.x — A sketch of his life — His reception in Halifax — Loss of H.M. Ship Im Tribune — The Prince's Lodge — H. R. H. meets with an accident, and re- turns to England— Is created Duke of Kent — Apnointcd Com- mander-in-Chief in British America — His arrival — Finally leaves for England — Appointed Governor of Gibraltar, and is recalled — His niarringe — -Birth of Princess Victoria — His death— Judge Haliburton's letter to Sir John Hervey in reference to tlie character of the Prince — Ilis benevolence — He establishes Regi- mental Schools — Louis Ijjnace de Salaberry — The Prince's correspondence with the Salaberry family — Edward Salaberry — Amelia Salaberry , 170 CHAPTER XL Arrival of Maroons in Halifax — Their history — Cudjoe, Chief of the Maroons — His submission to British autliority — Rebellion of the Maroons — Death of Colonel Fitch — Mission of Colonel Quarrell to Havannah — The C.iasseurs del Rev and their dogs — Surrender of the Maroons to General Walpole — Their transportation to Hfclifax — They settle in Preston — Resolution of the Jamaica House of Assembly respecting the support of the Maroons — Their letter to \V. D. Quarrell — Their removal to Sierra Leone — Their character — Appearance — Language — Social habits — Their return to Jamaica — The Administration of Sir John Wentworth — His I.otfcility towards Collenham Touge — He is sunerseded by Sir Gf.orge Prevost as Lieutenant-Governor — Sir George takes a tour through the Province — Laying; the foundation stone of the Province Building— Sir John Coape Sherbrooke succeeds as Lieutenant- Governor — Declaration of war between Great Britain and the United States — Money voted by the Assembly for general defences — Captain Broke of the frigate Shannon — He sails from Halifax for Boston— Challenges the U. S. frigate Chesapeake — The con- test — Narrow escape of Captain Broke — Capture of the Chesapeake, and death of Captain Laurence — Arrival of the vessels at Hali- fax — Burial of Captain Laurence and the first lieutenant of the CAcsopmfce— Captain Broke receives a baronetcy, and retires from the service — His death — Opinion of the American Court of vestigation as to the causes of the capture of the Chesapeakt— onclusion of the war by the Treaty or Ghent — Termination of the war between France and Great Britain — Celebration of the event in Halifax — Governor Sherbrooke appointed Governor-in- CONTENTS. 9 riiiof of the British North American Provinces — Ilis i nssumed name— First meeting of the Afjricultural Society — Mr. J«hn Young reveals himself as the autlior of the letters — A fRT OF NOVA SCOTIA. forest, ho mysteriously extinguished their fires, intensifying the cold to such a degree that, in the morning, the hostile host lay as dead as the army of Sennacherib. But Glooscap was benevolent ; strangers were made welcome to his great wigwam, where he entertainied them right royally. Tradition asserts he will return again, when his kettle will assume its original form, his petrified dogs spring into life, and his unbounded hospitality be dispensed. In this creation of the Indian brain we have an indication of the gropings of the untutored mind after right conceptions of the character of the Creator. The number of Indians at present inN'ova Scotia, includ- ind Cape Breton, is about sixteen hundred, being about two hundred more than in the adjoining Province of New Bruns- wick*. Halifax, Digby, Hans, Cape Breton, and Inverness being the counties in which the largest number reside. In the absence of proper inducements to adopt the usages of civilized life, they seem as closely wedded to a wandering life and desultory modes of living as the gipsies of Europe. Some of them have been known, after having apparently settled to ordinary employment for some yeai's, to have returned to their wigwams and resumed all their old unsettled habits. For many years they have been under the supervision of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, but beyond the distribution of a few blankets, and the occasional supply of seed, little has been done to induce systematic, industrious habits. Eecent changes in their treatment have, however, been effected, which promise to be of permanent benefit to them. The Province iiaa been divided into seven sections — an agent having been appointed in each — by whom it is hoped discrimination in the distribution of bounties "^"'11 be exercised, and unauthorised possession of the Indian Loirito- rial reserves reported. During the year ending the thirtieth * See Appendix A. THE DOMINION INDIAN DEPARTMENT. 25 of June, 1871, nearly four thousand dollars were expended by the Dominion Government, with a view to their present and permaiient advantage. In the Dominion, the Indian Department ' is under the direction of the Secretary of State for the Provinces. The efforts made in the upper Provinces to secure friendly rela- tions with the various tribes, and to promote their civiliza- tion and comfort, have been crowned with signal success. This result has been mainly obtained by assembling the tribes, and arranging with representatives duly appointed by themselves, *he terms on which occupancy by settlers, of certain specified territories, may be permitted, making certain allotments, strictly protected by law to the abori- gines, encouraging permanent settlement and cultivation of V soil, isupplying them with seed and agricultural imple- ments, providing suitable educational m?ichinery in each district, and paying an annual specified sum to each family according to the number of its members ; the latter provision acting as an admirable curb-rein in the case of the refrac- tory. Penetrated by the conviction, under such equitable treatment, that their " great mother," the Queen, sincerely desires to promote their happiness and comfort, her red children are in process of becoming loyal and useful sub- jects. The wisdom of the measm-es referred to is apparent in the security with which the traveller may traverse British ten-itory from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in the marked improvement of the natives socially and morally,, and .J the remarkable fact — occurring probably for the first time in the history of the aborigines of any country invaded, and permanently held by the Caucasian race — that the Indian population of the Dominion, regarded in the aggregate, is actually steadily increasing instead of diminishing.* • See Report of the Indian Department, &c., page 59, where Mr. I 26 HISTOaY OF NOVA SCOTIA. The Indian agricultural settlement of Tuscarora, Ontario, presents a pleasing illustration of the excellence to which, in that important branch of industry'', the aborigines may attain, as well as of the happy results which spring fi-om their judicious and humane treatment in Canada. " Here,'' — writes a gentleman who has for many years taken a j)rac- tical interest in their welfare, — " I found splendid farms, comfortable houses, large barns, good orchards, and two- horse-teams in abundance. The children attend school, and the religious instruction of the people is attended to by an efficient ministry." Spragge, Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Department, says— " the population returns found in the appendix, exhibit, it will be jjerceived, as regards most of the bands, an increase and not a dimi- nution in numbers, and on comparing these with former returns, it will be found to have been continuous. This is doubtless the result of improved habits of life, proper medical treatment, better habits- tiohd and sufficient clothing, better food and an ample supply of it. Added to this may be the restraints their religious instructors incul- cate, producing the better tone of mind which in many is observable." CHAPTER II. Baron de Lery's attempt to make a settlement — Landing of Verazano at Cape Breton — Robert Thome's voyage — Jacques Ceirtier's voy- ages up the St. Lawrence — Mr. Hore's expedition — Sufferir js of tlie party on Newfoundland — Their rescue — Early settlement of Cape Brecon — TheFisheries — ^First voyage of Sir Humphrey Gil- bert — Kis second v'oyage — The loss of the " Squirrel" — Attempt at colonization by the Marquis de la Roche — Sufferings of the ex- pedition at Sable Island — Sable Island — Its natural features — Its wild horses — The wreck of the " Arno" — Arrival of Sieur de Monts— He sails up the Annapolis Basin — Beauty of the scenery — Poutrincourt resolves to settle in Annapolis — De Monts ascends St. John river — Winters on the Island of St. Croix — Sufferings of the colonists — Arrival of Pontgrave from France — De Monts re- • turns to France — Discovery of the wild vine at Annapolis — News from France — Departure of the colonists from Port Royal — Ar- rival at France — Return of Poutrincourt — Baptism of the Indians — Arrival of Jesuits from France— They settle in Penobscot — Capt Argal's attack on Penobscot — He destroys Port Royal — Death of Poutrincourt — Lescarbot's History of the French colonies in America. The aborigines had roamed the continent, hunting and fish- ing, waginjr war and concluding peace for unknown ages, undisturbed to any appreciable extent by any foreign people ; but European enterprise was about to extend its operations, though at first on a limited scale, to the extreme eastern por- tion of it. The first attempt at settlement here seems to have been made by the Baron de Lery in the year 1518. Arriving on the coast late in the season, and being thus unable to construct houses for his people before the winter set in, he wisely resolved to return to France, leaving part of his live stock at Canso and the remainder on Sable 28 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Island. The animals loft at Canso either perished during the succeeding winter, or wore destroyed by the Indians, whilst a few of those left on Sable Island survived and multi- plied. The next expedition, of which we have any authentic ac- count, was made under the auspices of Francis the First, who despatched four vessola in the month of December, 1523, un- der the command of a Florentine navigator named Verazano. Encountering a severe storm, three of his vessels were so much damaged that they had to return to France, the " Dolphin " alone, with Verazano on board, continuing the voyage. Land was made on the seventh of March, 1524, on the coast of Caro- lina. Proceeding nort.ward, Verazano arrived at Cape Breton, where he supplied himself with wood and water, but his provisions being nearly exhausted, he had to steer for France. The next voyage was one intended to extend to the north pole — the first of a series which have been continued at in- tervals for three centuries without the attainment of the main object in view. It was suggested to Henry the Eighth by one Eobert Thorne, of Bristol. Two well equipped ships, accordingly, left the Thames on the twentieth of May, 1527. " Divers cunning men " — among whom was a learned canon of St. Paul's, an eminent mathematician — are said to have been among the adventurers. The vessels proceeded to Plymouth, whence they sailed on the tenth of June. On the night of the first of July a violent hurricane overtook them, when one of the ships — the Sampson — was lost with all on board. The other, meeting with impenetrable fields of ice, direc+cd her coursa southward, making Newfoundland and afteiwarcis the mainland, where a considerable time was spent, of which, however, there is no account save a crude letter to the King from John Eut, the captain of the ship. In this communication we have evidence that at this early period the Newfoundland fisheries were prosecuted with spirit, JACQUES CARTIER AND HORE. 29 for in the harbqr of St. Johns, Rut found eleven Norman, one Breton, and two Portuguese barques. The celebrated Jacques Cartier (*) made a voyage to the gulf of the St. Lawrence, in the year 1534, with two vessels, either of which did not exceed sixty tons burthen, making^ in the following year, another voyage, when he sailed up the river till he reached Hochelaga — now Montreal — ^which then, an Indian village, consisted of fifty wooden dwellings I Another English expedition, at the head of which was a Mr. Hore, — novel, from the circumstance of its having been under- taken by many gentlemen of the Inns of Coui-t and Chancer^'-, was fitted out in the year 1536, under the patronage of King Henry the Eighth. In April of that year one hundred per- sons — of whom thii'ty were men of birth aqd education — embarked in two shii)s. They fii'st made for the island of Cape Breton, which they reached two months after starting. They afterwards sailed for Newfoundland, where they failed in opening communication with the natives. The vessels were insufficiently j)rovisioned, notwithstanding the affluent circumstances of some of the voyagers. At the island of Newfoundland they were reduced to a state of absolute star- vation, depending for sustenance upon roots, and such fish as the parent birds brought to their nests. In the frenzy jjroduced by hunger one or two men were murdered by their companions, when searching for food on the island, and their flesh devoured. Intelligence of Avhat had occurred having reached the ships, the captain of one of them'mustered all on board, and addressed his fellow sufferers on the enormity of the crime committed, observing in the language of Ilakluyt the historian " that if it had not pleased God to have holpen * JacqiiCB Cartier, a French navigator of St. Malo, a 8t.fix)rt of Brittany, sailed under the auspices of the French King, and was the discoverer of the River St. Lawrence. 30 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTlA. thorn in that distress, that it had been bettor to have perished in body and to have lived everlastingly, than to have relieved, for a poor time, their mortal bodies and to be condemned for over, both body and soul, to the unquenchable fire of hell. And thus," continues the historian — " having ended, he began to exhort to repentance, and besought all the c'ompany to pray that it might please God to look upon their miserable present condition, and of His own mercy to relieve the same." That evening, some of the company agreed to cast lots who should ho killed, rather than that all should perish, when lo ! a sail was seen in the distance, which proved to be that of a French ■ship amply supplied with provisions. But to the disgrace ■of the English they took foi'cible possession of her and sailed •for England, leaving the Frenchmen, who rescued them from •the very jaws of death, in possession of their own dilapidated "Vessels. The extremity of sutfering to which the voyagera had been subjected is indicated by the fact that Mr. Buts, son of Sir William Buts, was not recognised by his own parents till his identity was placed beyond doubt by the discovery of a wart on one of his knees — the historian quaintly adding " as he told me — Richai'd Hakluyt — himself, to whom I rode two hundred miles, only to learn the whole truth of this voyage from his own mouth, as being the only man now alive that was in this discovery." The reckless voyagers had returned to England about the end of October, and were, in a few weeks, followed by the Frenchmen whom they had robbed, and who lost no time in lodging a formal complaint with King Henry as to the injuries inflicted on them by his subjects. The King, after an exami- nation into the facts, did one of the few graceful acts of his life by making, not only full reparation to the complainants, but by pardoning his subjects on account of the miseries they had already endured. The disastrous results of this voyage damped, for a considerable period, enthusiasm in England in favor of maritime discoveries in the land of the SETLEMENT OF CAPE BHETON. 31 Baccalaos, * but tho lessons taught by tho want of duo provision for contingencies were not lost on succeeding adventurers. Mr. Murdoch, in his history of Nova Scotia, says that " Fi'onch writers state a settlement was made in Cape Breton in the year 1541." On tho authority of Charlevoix and others, a fort was then built by Eoberval, the Governor of Canada, but beyond tho bare announcement by these writers, there is no corroborative evidence to substantiate tho assertion. Hence, Mr. Brown, in his history of Cape Breton, suggests that the words Capo Breton were a misprint for Cape Eouge, occurring in Fournier's book, which has been copied by late writers. That no settlement was effected at this early period seems extremely probable from the very significant circum- stance that the French Commissioners, writing in the year 1751 their memorials concerning the limits of Nova Scotia, and making as strong a case as possible in behalf of their countxy — basing their main argument on early settlement — make no allusion to such occupancy, which, had it occurred, they were not likely to omit, as they did not fr 11 to lay stress on the landing of cattle on Sable Island by the Baron de Lery in the j'ear 1518. If a solid argument could be based on so comparatively insignificant an event, in connection with an island so sterile, and at a considerable distance from the territory in dispute, surely the erection of a fort ou an island so important as Capo Breton, and in such close proximity to Acadia proper could not have been overlooked. The Commissioners say : — " Wo have not gone into a particu- lar consideration of that part of this article of the French memorial in which the French Commissaries have enquired 11^ amk * Tytler says, " Sebastian Cabot himself named these lands Bacca- laos, because in the seas thereabouts, he found such an immense mul- titude of large fish, like tunnies, called Baccalaos by the natives, that tlicy actually impeded the navigation of his ships." 32 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. which of tho two Crowns went earliest into the clesign of making settlements in North America, because it seems to us of little consequence to ascertain the intention of either Crown in a matter where the intention, not followed by any actual and successful undertaking, can have no weight; and because wo imagine that tho most effectual way of proving Groat Britain to have been earlier in her American settlements than France, is that which wo have taken, of showing that tho discovery of Cabot was long be- fore any such voyage being made by the French, and by authenticating that establishment in 1602, which we have done, and which was two years before the era marked by the French Commissaries themselves as the beginning of their settlement." * This passage is of consequence, not only for the reason already assigned, but aloo as referring to previous historical evidence adduce- u by the English Com- missioners, by which they prove by reference to tho " Pil- grims" by Purchas, and the " Histoire de la Nouvelle France," by Lescarbot, published in 1609, that instead of England hav- ing effected, as the French Commissioners maintained, no settlement in America till the year 1607, they had establish- ments there as early as the year 1602, two years, as already stated, before the time fixed by the French commissioners themselves, as that of the first French settlement, f Thus the French Commissioners not only omit the slightest allu- sion to the erection of a fort in 1541, but positively affirm that the first French settlement took place in the year 1 604 — thus furnishing both positive and negative evidence that if such fort was erected, the Commissioners, who made the history of the early settlement of the country a subject of special study, and who could not have been ignorant of the statement as to the erection of a fort by Roberval, did not * Memorials of the English and French ComniisBaries, p. 521. t Appendix B. HUMPHREY GILBERT S EXPEDITION. 88 1)oli '0 that statemont. These facta, though not alluded to by t r literary predecessors, so far as wo know, seem to settle the question in dispute, which, to the people of Capo Bi'oton in particular, is one of considerable historical in- terest. For forty years after the celebrated expedition of Mr. Hore, no effort was made, either by the reigning monarchs or private capitalists, in prosecuting further discoveries in America. But during that interval, the cod fisheries were con- ducted with increasing success on the banks of Newfound- land by the French, the Spanish, and the Portuguese, as well as by the British fishermen — the French having, in 1578, one hundred and fifty small vessels, the Spanish one hundred, the Portuguese fifty, and the English fifty, in the trade — the successful prosecution of the Iceland fisheries preventing a larger number of English vessels carrying on the Newfoundland trade. In that year Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half brother to Sir Walter Raleigh, got a patent from Queen Elizabeth for the discovery and settlement of new lands. Gilbert was a brave, generous-hearted man, and of a remarkably sanguine tem- perament. His first voyage was unfortunate, for he lost one of the two ships of which the expedition consisted, which obliged him to return to England. Determined to fit out another, he sold his estate, leaving Plymouth with five small vessels on the eleventh of June, 1583. Three days after sail- ing, fever broke out on board one of the vessels, in conse- quence of which she returned to Plymouth. Early in August, Sir Humphrey arrived at St. Johns, Newfoundland, where he found thirty-six fishing vessels. On the fifth of August, with imposing ceremony, in the presence of the merchants and the masters of the vessels, he took formal possession for the crown of England, of the harbour and all the country for two hundred leagues round. On the twentieth of the same month, having previously set apart a vessel for the sick. Sir 34 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. I Humphrey sailed for England with three ships — the DeligJit of 160 tons, the Bind of 40 tons, and the Squirrel of 10 tons burthen. The Delight, in a fog, struck on the northeast bar of Sable Island, — at which Sir Humphrey had intend- ed to touch, — and was lost, only fourteen of the crew having been saved. After this melancholy accident, by which nearly a hundred lives were lost, and which occurred on the twenty-eighth day of August, Sir Humphrey directed his course home-ward. A rumour, to the effect that this brave man was afraid of the sea, having been circulated on his returning from his first voyage, seemed to have annoyed him so much, that, in ojiposition to the earnest remons- trances of his friends, he persisted in returning in the Squirrel, which was overloaded. He was seen by the people in the Hind, on the ninth of September, sitting in the stern, with a book in his hand, and was hoai-d to say, alluding to a severe storm they had recently encountered, and in which the Squirrel was nearly lost, " we are as near to heaven by sea as by land," During the following night, Avhich was stormy, the lights of the Squirrel suddenly disappeared, and she was never heard of again, having evidently found- ered. The Hind arrived at Falmouth on the twenty-second of September, and so ended this unfortunate expedition. The first attempt to colonize Nova Scotia was made about the year 1598 — the time is disputed — by the Marquis de la Eoche, who, having obtained a commission from the French King, equipped a vessel, taking about fifty French con- victs with him, and landing them on Sable Island, not, 'as Mr. Haliburton says, with the view to permanent settlement, but temporarily, till a suitable location should be found fovthem. The Marquis, driven by a tempest eastward, returned to France, leaving these unhaj)py men, who would have been starved but for the progeny of the cattle left by the Baron de L^ry on the island. Before the winter set in they secured drift wood from the wrecks of Spanish vessels lost on th& SABLE ISLAND. 35 coast, which, to some extent, protected thorn from the severi- ties of winter, but their sufferings wore indicated by the cir- cumstance that only twelve of the number wore found to have sui'vivcd when a vessel arrived, which was sent seven years afterwards by the French king for their relief Sable Island, rendered famou by this incident, and still more so by the number of shipwrecks which have taken place on its shores, lies about one hundred and ten miles S.E. of Hali- fax, and has been, in all ages since its first discovery, the terror of mariners. It is shaped like a bow, is about twenty-six miles long, and no where much over a mile wide, having, in its centre, a shallow lake about thirteen miles in length. Its surface consists entirely of sand, which has been formed into hills and ridges by force of wind and wave, and which, in summer, are i>artially covered with verdure. Along the beach may be seen fragments of vessels, half buried in the sand, which tell of death to many a hardy mariner. There are no trees on the island, the vegetation consisting mainly of long, rank grass. The beach, being exposed on all sides to the billows of the Atlantic, presents a scene of almost un- interrupted commotion. When a storm is approach- ing, the billows, even in the absence of wind, rise high and break with a peculiar moan on the beach. At night, when the elements are fast mustering for strife, the ocean seems in a blaze of phosphoretic light, and when the wind blows more violently, increasing every moment, the waves take a wider sweep, and, crested with foam, partially driven in spray before the blast, crash on the beach with ter- rific force. * The scene is described with graphic power in the following lines : — " But when thy aspect changes— wlien the storm Sweeps o'er the wide Atlantic's heaving breast ; When, hvirrying on in many a giant form, The broken waters by the winds are prest.— • Wreck of the schooner Arno on Sable Island, by Joseph Darby. 36 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. Roariiif? like lienila of Hell which know no reft, And guided l>y the liglitning's fitful flash, \Vhodare8 look on thee then in terror drcst, Aa on thy lengthening beach the billows dash, Shaking the heavens themselves with one long deafening crash?" * Wlmt renders the Irtlancl bo disastrous to sliipping nro the subaqueous flats and protuberances of sand by which it is environed, and wliich are produced by the - no causes to which the island owes its origin. When the wind blows violently, the water, by which this dangerous ground is covered being only a few fathoms deep, is agitated from the very bottom far from the beach, and lashed into roaring breakers which no ship, however strong, can withstand. Perhaps the most remarkable instance on record whore oil has been successfully used in smoothing the surfiice of a tempestuous sea, and thus made the means of saving life, is that of the schooner Arno, commanded by Captain Iliggins, and cast on Sable Island in the month of September, 18-46. This vessel, manned by twelve men, was fishing on the Quero bank when overtaken by a storm. During the night Iliggins lost his head sails, and on the following morning saw land, towards which he was fast drifting without the means of changing his course. Ho accordingly dropped his anchor in twenty fathoms of water, paying out three hun- dred fathoms of cable, and thus brought the schooner's head to the wind. In this position he held on till noon, vvhen, despairing of the storm abating before night, and convinced that he could not hold out much longer, he resolved to cut, the cable and make for the shore during daylight, as oifer- ing the only chance for life. Fixing two large casks of oil near the fore shrouds, he caused two of his best men — having nailed up his cabin door and sent the rest of the hands be- low — to lash themselves to them, and to deal out the oil \i\ * Sable Island, a Poem, by the Hon. Joseph Howe. WILD UOB8E8 0¥ SABLE ISLAND. 37 with ladlos, throwing it as liigh as possible. Thoviolonco of tho blast throw it lur to Icowarcl, ami it acted as a charm on tho troubled sea, spreading in tho course of tho schooner and making tho surface of tho mighty wavfcs so smooth that not a barrel full of water fell on tho deck tho wliolo distance — tho Captain, all tho while, lashed to the helm, and with steady hands directing the schooner's course. Around tho surface whore tho oil floated, seas were breaking, any ono of which, in tho absence of tho oil, would have smashed the schooner in fragments. She at length crossed the bar in safety, and struck the beach. Tho crew wore assisted in landing by Mr. Darby, the Superintendent on tho island, and his men, and soon after the vessel, went to pieces. On tho island are some hundreds of wild horses, but when tho breed was introduced there it is impossible to say. For a graphic doscrij^tion of these interesting animals wo aro indebted to J. Jiornard Gilpin, M.I). " They are divided" — he says— "into herds or gangs, each having a separate pasture, and each presided over by an old male, consjiicuous by tho length of his mane rolling in tangled masses over eye and ear down to his fore arm. Half his time seems taken up in tossing it from his eyes as ho collects his outlying mares and foals on the approach of strangers, and keeping them Avell up in a pack, boldly faces the enemy whilst they retreat at a gallop. If pressed, however, he too retreats in their rear. He brooks no divided allegiance, and many a fierce battle is waged by the contending chieftains for the honor of tho herd. In form they resemble the wild horses of all lands : tho largo head, thick shaggy neck of the male, low withers, paddling gait, and sloping quarters have all tho countei*parts in the Mustang und the horse of the Ukraine. The annual drive or herding, usually ^'esulting in the whole island being swept from end to end, and a kicking, snorting* half terrified mass driven into a large pond, from which two ^T' 38 HISTORY OF NOVA SOOTIA. or three dozen are selected, lassoed, and exported to town affords fine sport, wild riding and plenty of falls." Upwards of eighty years had now elajised since Cabot's first voyage +o North America, yet neither in Canada nor Acadia had any permanent colonization been accomplished. Much activity had, however, been displayed in peopling other ]iortions of the continent, particularly by the Spaniards. Cortcz, in 1519, entered Mexico, and in the space of two years reduced the whole country to the dominion of the King of Spain, after having perpetrated atrocities which have (.camped the Spanish nation with an indelible stigma. The persecutions to which the Huguenots wei'e subjected, and which culminated in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, in the year 1572, led to an intense desire on the part of some of the leaders of that body to emigraie to a country where tolera- tion as to religion should exist. With this view Sieur dc Monts reco'ved a patent in 1603, from King Henry the fourth, an able anllibei-al-minded monarch, constituting him Lieiitenant General of Acadia, from the fortieth to the forty- sixth degree of north latitude, with the view, as stated in the patent " to cause barbarous Atheists, without faith and reli- gion, to be converted to Christianity, as well as to the great ja-oiit which may be drawn by the traffic and commerce which may be safely treated and negotiated." De Monts also received a monopoly of the fur trade in the region assigned him, the advantages thus secured leading to the formation of a company, in which many of the Protestant merchants of Rochelle were shareholders. Four vessels were accordingly prepared, De Monts taking command of two of them, which were bound for Acadia. The adven- turers who accompanied him in this ex])edition consisted of Eoman Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, artizans, agriculturalists, and soldiers. Samuel Champlain, an ex- perienced French navigator, and subsequently a well known author, and M. de Poutrincourt, a gentleman of position and ANNAPOLIS BASIN. 39 influence, Avho intended to settle in the country, sailed in the same vessel with De Monts, leaving Havre de Grace on the seventh of March, 1604. Entering one of the harbors of Acadia, they found one Eossignol prosecuting the fur trade. In virtue of his patent, do Monts confiscated the vessel, call- ing the port — now Liverpool — after the unhapjjy Eossignol. Proceeding southwest, De Monts entered the bay of St. Mary. Here many of the voyagers landed, and among them a priest named Aubry,Avho, having separated from his friends and being unable to rejoin them, wandered in the woods for seventeen days, havipg subsisted during that period on wild fruit, when he was at last discovered by a party of his friends,making fee- ble efforts to attract attention, and rescued from his perilous position. To no one was his discovery more agreeable than to a Protestant with whom he used to have violent disputes on religious subjects, and Avho was suspected of having mur- dered the priest. Proceeding up the Bay of Fund}' the party observed a strait — Digby — which they entered. That portion of Acadia at Avhich the voyagers had now arrived is distinguished by the beauty of its scenery. The coast along Avhich they had previously sailed is comparati- vely rugged,presenting,when viewed at a distance, few attrac- tive features. But on entering the basin of the Annapolis river the scene is changed, many of the peculiar elements V. hich lend a charm to the Acadian landscape being found I rt harmonious combination. The basin itself is a great ex- panse of water, so large as to be scarcely comprehended in all its proportions by the keen glance of unaided vision. AVe can imagine the day one of unclouded splendour, the hcjt of summer being tempered by the cooling sea breeze. Fleecy clouds may have occasionally floated across the sun's disc, casting a temporary shadow on wood and water, alternate glimpses of shade and sunshine producing by contrast a pleas- ing variety in the variegated colours of the " forest prime- val." Or we can fancy the vessel, wafted in the evening 40 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. through the strait by a gentle breeze, and when fairly within the basin, the wind to have died away, leaving the sails hanging loosely, and the surface of the water resplen- "dent in the distance with the reflected rays of the declining sun. Towards the east, islands repose on the bosom of the deep, their forms being vividly mirrored on its placid sur- face, and from which canoes may bo seen darting towards the mainland, with their paddles fitfully flashing in the sunlight. In the distance are no ranges of lofty mountains with snow-clad peaks shooting heavenward, but there are graceful, undulating hills, thickly clad, from base to summit, with wood,constituting an admirable background to the M'hole scene. In silent admiration the voyagers gaze on the enchant- ing picture, and particularly Poutrincourt, on whom the im- pression is such that he resolves to make the place his home- An examination of the land confirms the opinion as to its suitableness, and ho obtains a grant from De Monts which, as wo shall find, was afterwards confirmed to him by royal warrant. Leaving the basin of the Annapolis, De Monts sailed towards Minas — now Horton. He then crossed the bay towards the river St. John which he ascended, being delighted with the scenery as well as astonished at the quantity of fish with whi' h its waters teemed. Proceeding in a southwesterly direction about twenty leagues further ho arrived at ■v\hat is generally supposed to have been the bay of Passamaquoady. Here De Monts found an island on which he resolved to build a fort and winter, and which he namod St. Croix. He and his party passed a miserable winter, suffering, according to Lescarbot from three causes — want of water, want of wood, and the constant watch necessary to bo kept, for fear of a hostile visit from the Indians. They wei'o attacked by scurvy, which carried off" thirty-six of their number, leaving forty suff'ering more or less fi'om the same malignant disease. The dawn of spring was hailed with satisfaction by the in- DE MONTS AT ST. CROIX. 41 valids. Theii' lender resolved to look out for a more eligible place, with a view to settlement, and for that purpose sailed towai-ds the bay of Pentagoet or Penobscot, which, on the map published by the English Commissioners in 1755, was the extreme western limit of Acadia at that period. Find- ing the Indians in that region thievish and unfriendly, De Monts returned to St. Croix, whero he was cheered by finding that one Pontgrave had arrived, in a ship fromFi'ance, with forty men and abundant supplies for the little colony. De jMonts at once resolved to break up his present encampment, and to remove with everything to Port Eoyal — Annapolis — which was done accordingly, after which ho sailed for France, for which his friend Poutrincourt had left in the previous autumn, leaving Pontgrave his lieutenant, with instructions to Chamjjlain to explore the country. During the ensuing winter the colonists opened a satis- factory trade with the Indians, passing a pleasant winter, the only material drawback being the scarcity of bread. They had, however, plenty of corn, the only grinding apparatus being a hand mill or " quern." When the spring opened, Pontgrave resolved to sail further south in order to search for a still more desirable place of settlement. Twice he was driven back by contrary winds, and in making the third attempt, his vessel was driven on the rocks near the entrance to the harbour, which compelled him to desist for the time from any fiu'ther attempts at exploration. It is now the summer of 160G, and Do Monts and Poutrin- court are preparing in France for another voj'oge. They had diflSculties to contend with. Influence had been brought to bear on the French monarch to withdraw from De Monts the monopoly of the fur trade, against which the ordinary traders had protested loudly, whilst the merchants who in- vested capital in the previous expedition wero dissatisfied with unremunerative returns. At length a vessel of one hundred and fifty tons was prepared, which left Rochelle on kill H :IM,'j IIHHRMi 42 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I i| tho thirteenth of May, Do Monta and Poutrincourt being ac- compainod on this occasion by Marc Loscarbot, who became tho most able historian of the French colonial transactions of that period. On tho twenty-sixth of July they arrived at Port Eoyal, Avhere they only found two men, who had been loft in charge of the place, Pontgi'ave having left with tho inten- tion of I'oturning to France; but hearing of tho arrival of Do Monts at Canso, he immediately returned to Port Itoyal. Speaking of this reunion of friends, Lescarbot says, " all tho month wo made merry. M. do Poutrincourt did set up and open a hogshead of wino, ono of them that was given him for his own drinking, giving leave to all comers to drink as long as it could hold." In the meantime Poutrincourt and Lescarbot set them- selves vigorously to tho cultivation of tho soil, and had, in a few days, tho satisfaction of seeing tho seed sown spring up with tho rapidity of growth characteristic of the climate. It is now tho month of August, and Do Monts and Pontgravo resolve to return to Franco, leaving Poutrin- court to explore tho coast, and Lescarbot to take charge of the settlement, a duty for which his industry and ingenuity admirably adapted him. Amongst other functions, in the absence of a priest, he acted as religious instructor to tho Indians, whom ho taught tho sublime and comforting truths of the Christian religion. This eminent man, in writing of- tho motives by which ho was actuated in leaving his native land to seek a homo in Acadia, expresses sentiments which at once^ bespeak the Christian and the patriot; " so it is," he says, "that God awakoth us sometimes to stir us up to gene- rous actions such as be these voyages." Poutrincourt proceeded on a coasting trip towards Cape Mallebarre — Cape Cod — having first visited St. Croix. Some of the party were attacked, when ashore, by the Indians, three or four of them having been killed. Lescarbot gives a circumstantial account of all tho incidents of tho trip. DISCOVERY OF THE WILl* VINE. 43 which our limits will not permit us to describe. Poutrin- coiirt, after an absence of more than two months, returned to Port Eojal, where he was joyfully received by Lescarbot, who had begun to doubt his safety, and "with' a solemnity altogether new in that part." The winter, which had been comparatively mild, seems to have been passed pleasantly at Port Eoyal. In the spring the colonists were busy sowing seed, and, says Lescarbot; " it was a marvellous pleasure to see it daily 8'[>ringing up." They built a water-mill, which the Indians very much admired, all the more that it saved the toil of grinding corn with the hand mill, to which they had intense aversion, and to which even the high remuneration of half the corn ground could not reconcile them. Lescarbot, and other early writers, frequently mention grapes as growing in Acadia. The first discovery of the wild vine seems to have been made in a small island near Pen- tagoet during the voyage just i-eferred to. The island was situated about two hundred miles further west than Port Eoyal, and in the same latitude. It is described as being about half a league in circumference, and as abounding in black grapes, some of thpni being " as large as plums." "The trunks of the vines," says Lescarbot, " were three or four feet high, and as big as one's fist in the lower part, tho grapes fair and large. They lay over bushes and brambles that grew in the same island, where the trees are not so thick as in other places, but are six or seven rods asunder, which causes the grapes to be ripe the sooner, having bo- sides, gx'ound very fit for the same, gravelly and sandy." Tho same respectable authority adds ; " grapes were after- wards found on the lands near Port Eoyal, but not in such perfection." * The finding of this fruit in the country has been doubted, but the descriptions of it are so circum- : h * Novu Francia, p. 832. ! '■ 1 M m s Sail ' 44 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. * Stan tial, and the allusions toit so frequent, that it seems impos- sible consistently to resist such cumulative and unequivocal testimony by men to Avhom the grape was as familiar as the apple. Fine samples of grapes produced in the open air are yearly exhibited by the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, and from the fact of the vine being indigenous to the province, it may be fairly assumed that when due care is taken as to the nature of the soil and the exposures where the vines are planted, the quality will be greatly improved. If the native vine were cultivated it might pro- duce fruit in greater perfection than what is now obtained from the foreign. * The Colonists were now anxious for the arrival of De Monts from France, when one morning Memberton, an Indian chief, represented as a hundred years old, and a firm friend to the French, informed Lcscarbot and his friends that a vessel was approching the entrance to the harbor, which he was said to have descried at a distance at which she could scarcely be detected by the keenest vision. The whole colony immediately turned out to welcome the stranger, which, however, brought news not of a joyful nature, for a dispatch addressed to Poutrincourt, which he proceeded to read publicly, informed the colonists that Do Monts had been deprived by the king of the monopoly of the peltry trade. This was regarded as death to the colony ; "we felt," eays the historian, "great grief to see so fair and so holy an enterprise broken, that so many labours and perils past should serve to no effect, and that the hope of planting the name of God, and the Catholic faith should vanish away." In the evening, however, the prevailing gloom was gilded, in French fashion, by bonfires for the :i::!!i I • McGregor in hie sketches of British America, published about the year 1828, eaj's : " wild vines covering several acres have lately been discovered near Digby," but unfortunately he does not state hi» authoritv. THE FRENCH LEAVE NOVA SCOTIA. 45 nativity of "my Lord the Duke of Orleans," and by the firing of cannon and singing the Te Deum Laudamus. Fifteen days after these events it was a busy time at Port Eoyal, the Micmacs giving proof of their propensity to war by assembling, at the command of Memberton, to the number of four hundred, in order to attack their neighbours the Armouchiquois, who inhabited a district further west. After a conflict, in which the Armouchiquois were defeated, the Micmac army returned, rejoicing in their success. Preparations were now made for retiring from the country. With that view Lescarbot, on the thirtieth of July, 1607, left for Canso, where he was to be joined by Poutrincoiu't in eleven days, after he had secured samples of his growing crops. Memberton and his army had just arrived as Pou- trincourt was about to bid adieu, at least for a time to Port Eoyal. The aged chief prevailed npon him to remain one day longer. The poor Indians shed tears of unaffected sorrow in parting with their friends the French, who gene- rously presented them with ten hogsheads of meal, and all the standing crops then ready for the sickle. The almost uninterrupted friendship, which had subsisted between the French and the Micmacs from the very beginning of their intercourse, is easily accounted for by the tact the former displayed in their management, which was based on genuine acts of beneficence, and due attention to their instruction in the arts of civilized life, and in the doctrines of the Eoman Ca- tholic faith. Poutrincourt having joined his friends at Canso, the whole party sailed for France on the third day of September — leaving not one European in Acadia. On the twenty-sixth day of the same month they sighted the English coast, arriving on the twenty-eighth at St. Malo. Reaching Paris, Poutrincourt lost no time in presenting himself at court,exhibiting by Eoyal command the samples of wheat, rye, barley and oats which he had brought with him. The King, pleased with these evi- 46 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. dences of tho fertility of the soil, renewed to De Monts the privileges of the beaver trade for one year, in order to enable him to establish colonies in New Franco, which compi-e- hended Canada as well as Acadia. Lescarbot says a few families Avore accordingly sent, but whethei; to Canada or Aca- dia is not stated. He says, however, that tho vessels, in which they had embarked, called at Port Royal, and tho French were received by the old chief with every demonstration of respect. After this, De Monts ended his connection with Acadia, and prosecuted tho peltry trade on his own account in Canada. The favourable impression made on Poutrincourt, on enter- ing the basin of the Annapolis, seems to have been con- firmed by residence at Port Eoyal. Hence he resolved to return to the settlement, and, with that view, petitioned th© King for a confirmation of the grant of land made to him by Do Monts, which His Majesty accordingly ratified, on tho understanding that he was to bo accompanied by Jesuit missionaries, towards whose maintenance the King had made an appropriation. Poutrincourt, though a sincere Eoman Catholic, adroitly threw difiiculties in the way, and it was probably to avoid the introduction of these unwelcome spiritual teachers that he postponed leaving for Acadia till the spring of 1610 ; and whilst the Jesuits were waiting for him at Bourdeaux, he was quietly embarking at Dieppe, taking with him a Roman Catholic priest of the name of Fleche. Determined to prove to the King that tho Jesuits were not needed, he took measures to christianize some of tho leading Indians. • The old chief Memberton and his family were the first who were baptized — the sacred rite having been performed with much solemnity in the presence of all the Colonists. After tho chief had thus openly made a pro- fession of his faith, there was little difficulty in getting his subjects to follow his example, so far as attendance to out- ward forms was concerned. AROAL GOES TO ACADIA. 47 Supplies for the colony wore now needed, and Poutrincourt sent his son Biencourt to France in order to obtain them, sending with him a register of the baptisms ; but Henry the Fourth had been assassinated, and the influence of the wife of the Governor of Paris — the Marchioness Guercheville, a keen Jesuit, — was such that Poutrincourt's expectations as to the effect of his register were not realized. It was there- fore resolved to send two Jesuit fathers, Pierre Biard and Enemonde Masse, to Port Eoyal, and for that purpose they proceeded to Dieppe, from which port Biencourt was to sail- Here two Huguenot merchants, who had made advances on the cargo, objected to the fathers leaving in the vessel. The difficulty being reported to the zealous Marchioness, she at once succeeded in providing the requisite sum to refund the objectors, and thus Biencourt was obliged, very much against his desire, to take the fathers with him, sailing on the twenty-sixth of January, 161 1, and arriving at Port Eoyal, after intermediate stoppages, on the twenty-second of June. Poutrincourt left again for France in July, 1611, leaving his son in charge of Port Royal. The young man and tho Jesuits not agreeing, the latter were glad to avail them- selves of an opportunity of leaving for Penobscot, where a new settlement had been made by their patroness, the Marchioness de Guercheville. For some years the English had effected a settlement in Virginia, the colony numbering in the year 1613, about seven hundred souls. In the summer of that year, Captain Argal, who commanded a ship armed with fourteen guns, went northward towards Acadia with a fleet of fishing vessels. Hearing of the French colony on the Penobscot river, he resolved to break it up, though England was at that time at peace with France. A French vessel close to the settlement was accordingly attacked by Argal, the crew of which made a brave resistance against an overpowering fierce. Argal took possession of the vessel, and, landing in the settlement, made r 'H -18 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. the members of the colony prisoners, some of whom wore taken to Jamestown, and the rest allowed to retire in a shallop, to look out for a vessel to take them to Franco. The Governor of Virginia approved of the conduct of Argal, and despatched throe vesselSjOf which he took command,to destroy the French colonies in Acadia. At St. Croix and other places the buildings wore demolished. Argal then sailed for Port Eoyal, whore a similar scene was enacted, all compromise being refused to Biencourt, who fled to the forest, and lived with the Indians. In the following year, his father Poutrin- cou^c arrived at Port Royal, which he found a scene of deso- lation. He accordingly resolved to leave Acadia forever, which ho did, returning to France, and fell fighting bravely in the service of his country at the soigo of Mery-sur-Seine in the month of December, 1615. Accoi*ding to Champlain, Biencourt remained in Acadia till his death, which occurred in the year 1624. We cannot close this chapter without expressing admira- tion of the excellencies by which the work of Lescarbot is distinguished. The narrative is both interesting and truthful, and the modesty of the author is conspicuous in never intro- ducing himself or his doings, giving credit for all that was accomplished to others in transactions in which, had he written the whole truth, he would have figured more promi- nently than any of his friends. There are also, throughout his work, evidences of scholarship, as well as flashes of quiet humour, and indications of unaffected piety, which leave, in closing his book, a most favourable impression as to the author's character and acquirements. CnAPTEK III. Sir William Alexander — Receives a grant from James I., and sails for Nova Scotia — Sir David Kirk takes Port Royal — Defeats the French fleet — Surrender of Quebec — Claude de la Tour — His efforts to seduce his eon from French allegiance — Treaty of St. Oermains — Restoration of territory to France — Arrival of the French governor — Division of the province between Charnise and Charles de la Tour — Their rivalry and disputes — La Tour gets aid from the Bostonians — Capitulation of La Tour's fort to Charnise — His cruelty to the garrison — Death of Madame De la Tour — Death of Charnise — La Tour succeeds him as governor — Seizure of the French forts by Major Sedgewick — Oliver Crom- well's policy — Death of La Tour — Limits of Nova Scotia — Efforts of the French to regain it — Their success — Reluctance of Sir Thomas Temple to give it up — Progress of the province — Popu- lation — Character of the French governor — Taxation of coal- War between France and England — Sir William Phips — He com- mands expedition from Boston to attack Port Royal — Surrender of the fort — Revocation of the conditions of capitulation by Sir William Phips — He attacks Quebec — Disasters of the expedition —Barbarities practised by the Indians on English settlers — Nova Scotia again transferred to France by the treaty of Ryswick — War again declared — An expedition from Boston attacks Port Royal and is repulsed — M. Subercase — He strengthens Port Royal — His efforts to colonize the country. After the expulsion of the French from Port Royal by Captain Ai'gal in the year 1613, no attempt at settlement was made under the auspices of the English government till 1621, -when King James the first, of England, made a grant which included Acadia, New Brunswick, Capo Breton, Prince Edward Island, and part of Lower Canada to Sir William Alexander, a native of Scotland, who was born in the year 1580 in the village of Menstrie, in Clackmannanshire, !■ Ii 50 IIISTOHY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I i'l'l'i i and who was a poet and dramatist of considerable reputation. In the year after Sir William had secured this immense ter- ritory, he chartered a vessel, in which a number of emigrants embarked for the pu cpose of settling in Nova Scotia — the country being so designated in his patent instead of Acadia. In a work published by Sir William in London in 1625 — entitled "An Encouragement to Colonies" — he gives an interest- ing accountof the voyage. The vessel sailed in August, 1622 About the middle of September she had approached the island of Cape Breton, when a violent gale drove her far to the east. Having at length arrived at Newfoundland, the emigrants determined to winter on the island, sending the ship back to Britain for supplies. In the following spring she was again despatched, but did not arrive at St. John's till the fifth of June, before which time many of the emigrants, despairing of her retui'n, had engaged themselves to the fishermen. A few of them, however, went on a cruise towards the Penin- sula in order to inspect the land — returning in a few weeks, and taking passage to England, whither they carried flatter- ing accounts of the country. In the meantime, Charles the first had ascended the throne, and Sir William not only obtained a confirmation of the grants made to him by King James, but also the addition of an immense teiTitory, which led to the formation of a company, designated " The Merchant Adventurers of Cana- da." One of them was the celebrated Sir David Kirk, who was born at Dieppe, and whoso father was a Scotsman, and his mother a French woman. Two or three armed vessels "were prepared, of which Kirk took command, who sailed, under a commission from the King of England, to attack the French settlements in North America, and take French mer- chant vessels as prizes, of which he secured, in 1627, not fewer than eighteen, taking them to England. In the following year, Port Royal was taken by him. He then summoned Quebec, of which Champlain was the governor. The latter CIIAMPLAIN IN DISTBESH. 61 rclurnod a dofinnt answer, and Kirk doomed it prudent to ■withdraw in tho meantime. Hearing that ves^^ols had left Franco with supplies for the colony, Kirk resolved to lookout for them. Eighteen transports, under tho command of Sieur do Roquomont, arrived at Gaspo Avith provisions, an \' ,', 64 lirSTORV OF NOVA SCOTIA. if i; {'■ .1 Jft barbarities perpetrated by Indian liordes, inspired and directed by French oiBcers, on the defenceless towns in the intcrionof the country. One hundred men, chiefly Indians, marched, in the depth of winter,- hundreds of miles, and at night attacked the village of Sconectady — now a flourishing * manufacturing town — and murdered the inhabitants. Other detachments were sent in various directions by Count l 1689, and in th j following year LieutenantrGovernor of Virginia. In lf92 he was transferred to the Government of Maryland, and in 1698 sent back to Virginia as Governor- in-Chief, at Avhich time he held the rank of colonel in the army. Nicholson was an earnest advocate of a confedera- tion of the British North American Provinces lor purposes of defence, to which the people of Virginia were popularly opposed. Nicholson sailed from Boston on the eighteenth of Sep- tember, with a fleet of about thirty- six vessels, including five transports from England, conveying a considerable force, composed of troops supplied by Massachusetts, Con- necticut, New Hampshire and Ehode Island, which arrived at Port Eoyal ou the twenty-fourth of September. Suberease was not in a condition to resist so formidable a force, hence we find him writing to the Fi'cnch minister that the garrison is dispirited, and praying for assistance in men and money. The straits to which he was reduced is indicated by the following passage: "I have had means," he saj-s, " by my industry to borrow wherewith to subsist the garrison for these two years. I have paid what I could by selling all my moveables. I will give even to my last shirt, but I fear that all my pains will prove useless if we are not succoured during the month of March or early in April, supposing the enemy should let us rest this winter." But it was far from the intention of the enemy to lot them rest ; for three days after the despatch of the communication, in which the passage quoted occurred, Nicholson sent a sum- mons to the Governor requiring the immediate delivery of the fort and in the event ot non-compliance, expressing his resolution to reduce it by force of Her Majesty's arms. No reply having been sent to the summons, Nicholson prepared to land his troops, to which Suberease offered no resistance, as he could not trust the garrison bej'ond the walls of the U NICHOLSON TAKES PORT ROYAL. 69 fort on account of the discontent induced by the universal conviction of their inability to oppose the English, who mustered to the number of upwards of three thousand, ex- clusive of seamen, to which force the Governor could not oppose more than three hundred fighting men. In the meantime the garrison became disorganized, and many de- sertions took place, when the Governor, yielding to neces- sity, opened a communication with Nicholson, with the view to a capitulation. The articles were, in the circumstances, highly favorable to the garrison. They provided that the soldiers should march out with their arms and baggage drums beating and colors flying ; that they should be con- veyed to Eochelle, and that the inhabitants, within three miles of Port Eoyal, should be permitted to remain on their lands, with their corn, cattle and furniture, for two years, if so disposed, on their taking the oath of allegiance to the Queen of Great Britain. The destitute condition of the garrison was manifested by their tattered gai-meuts, and absence of provisions necessary to sustain them even for a few days. In conformity with the terms of the capitulation, four hundred and eighty men in all were transported to Eochelle, in France. A garrison, consisting of two hundred marines, and two hundred and fifty New England volunteers, was left in Port Eoyal, under Colonel Vetch, as Governor — General Nicholson returning to Boston with the fleet. The English, sensible of the disastrous consequences re- sulting from the policy hitherto adopted of abandoning Port Eoyal after having taken repeated possession of it, had now resolved to I'ctain it permanently. The Acadians were alarmed at the indications of permanent occujjancy which -hey witnessed, and evinced a degree of hostility which ci.used the Governor to adoptsuch measures as were calcu- lated 10 convince them that they must act in virtue of their temporary allegiance to the British Crown, as became faithful subjects. The restrai nts imposed were galling to the French, t! ■: 70 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. i ; J 1^' \ i and thoy dcsiiatchod a messenger with a letter to the Gover- nor of ("anada, referring to their general misery under British rule, and praying to be furnished with the means of leaving a country where they could not enjoy absolute freedom, but the letter contained no specific charges. In the hope of regaining the fort, and impressed with the importance in the meantime of intensifying Indian hostility to English rule, the Canadian Governor sent messengers to the French mission- ai'ies to exert their influence in that direction. The conse- quence Avas that parties sent out to cut wood were attacked, and that travelling beyond the fort w^as rendered dangerous. Eighty men sent from the garrison on that service were attacked by the Indians, who killed about thirty of the party, taking the rest prisoners. Vaudreuil, the Governor of Canada, had made preparations to assist in the recaptiu-e of the fort, but intelligence of a strong force being in prepara- tion to attack Canada prevented the accomplishment of his purpose. General Nicholson, on leaving Port Eoyal, went to Eng- land, for the purpose of inducing the Government to adopt measures for the thorough conquest of Canada, preparations for that end being in progress in New England. His appeal was cordially responded to, and a fleet of twelve line of battle ships, with store ships and transports, and having eight regiments and a train of artillery on board, the whole commanded by Admiral Walker, left England on the twenty- eighth of April, 1711, arriving in Boston on the twenty- fifth of June. This formidable force, which consisted of sixty- eight vessels in all, having about six thousand fighting men on board, left Boston on the thirtieth of July, arriving at "Gaspe on the eighteenth of August, where wood and water wore taken in. They sailed thence on the twentieth. The pilots seem to have been incompetent, for on the twenty- third of August the ships got into difficulties in a fog, losing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, near Egg Island, eight ti-ans- EXPEDITION FOR THE CONQUEST OF CANADA. n m ports and eight hundred and eighty-four men. At a council of war it was determined to abandon the enterprise, and intelligence of the resolution was sent to General Nicholson, who had left Albany with an army for the purpose of attack- ing Montreal, and who consequently had the mortification of being obliged to return immediately. On the fourth of September the fleet arrived at Spanish Bay, and anchored in front of Lloyd's cove It is questionable if the noble harbor of Sydney has ever since presented so lively a spec- tacle as on this occasion. Admiral Walker was instructed if he succeeded in taking Quebec, to attack Placontia in Newfoundland, but at a council of war it was declared impracticable to make any attempt against that place, while from the condition of the strong- hold it could have boon easily taken. On his return. Walker was the laughing stock of the nation. Literary squibs and pamphlets were showered upon him, and his attempts at a vindication of his conduct only rendered him the more ridiculous. He stood in the estimation of the nation in pre- cisely the same position as Sir John Cope, the commander of the force sent to attack Prince Charles Edward Stuart on his march from the north of Scotland in 1745, to Edinburgh, who, after having held a council of war, resolved to march in the opposite direction from that in which the enemy was to be found, and whose consummate folly or cowardice in doing so is a standing national joke for all time. The severe contests in which France and Britain were almost continually engaged required occasional breathing time. Hence, notwithstanding the series of brilliant vic- tories gained by Marlborough, the war had become unpopu- lar, and the governmental policy had to be assimilated to the national will. France was equally desirous of peace, and no great difficulty was experienced in coming to terms. In the preparation of previous treaties, France had suc- ceeded in making the cession to her of any portion of North 72 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I -1 M American territory wrested from her a fundamental condi- tion of agreement. Great Britain had hitherto shown a degree of pliability, in yielding to the desire of her gi-eat opponent in this matter, which seems unaccountable, and certainly incompatible with British interests ; but the repre- sentations of the New Englandors as to the impolicy of such jirocedure were so urgent and unanswerable, that the Govern- ment had resolved that the period of vacillation was past and that the exercise of firmness in the permanent retention of Nova Scotia was necessary. Hence, in the celebrated treaty of Utrecht in 1713, it was provided that all Nova Scotia or Acadia should be yielded and made over to the Queen of Great Britain and to her crown for ever, together Avith Newfoundland, France retaining possession of Capo Breton. General Nicholson, having been appointed Governor of Nova Scotia in 1714, as well as Commander-in-Chief, Queen Anne addressed a graceful letter to him, dated the twenty- third of June, 1713, in which, after alluding to her " good brother," the French King, having released from imiu'ison- ment on board his galleys such of his subjects as Avere detained there professing the Protestant religion, she desired to shew her apiDreciation of His Majesty's compliance with her wishes, by ordering that all Frenchmen in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Avho should desir'j to remain, should bo permitted to retain their property and enjoy all the privi- leges of British subjects, and if they chose to remove else- where, they were at liberty to dispose of their property by sale ere they departed.* The period during which such removal could be effected was limited, by the fourteenth article of the treaty, to one year ; and it was also provided that those who continued British subjects were to enjoy the free exercise of their religion, according to the usage of the • Appendix C. LOUISBOURQ MADE A STRONGHOLD, 13 Church of Eome.* It is of importance hero to observe that the treaty did not enjoin the administration of the oath of allegiance to such of the Acadians as remained, yet their willingness to take such oath, when required, was clearly implied as a condition of their recognition as British subjects, iind it is morever to be borne in mind, as having an important bearing on a subsequent portion of the narrative, that, in the fifth article of the capitulation of Port Eoyal to General Nicholson, in the year 1*700, the Fi-ench inhabitants who were permitted to remain on their estates for two years, in case they should not be dcl^irous of leaving before the expiration of that period, were required " to take the oath of allegiance and fidelity to Her Sacred Majesty of Great Britain." The French, being now in indisputable possession of Cape Breton, and justly attaching great importance to that beau- tiful island, as presenting a base of protection to the North American fisheries — which were not deemed of equal value by the British on account of the wide range of fishing ground accessible to them elsewhere — as well as to their property on ^the St. Lawrence, they began to look for a harbor that might be rendered impregnable — the importance of such a stronghold having been pointed out in 1708, in an able report by M. Baudot, Intendant of Justice in Canada. After a •deliberate consideration of the advantages oftered by various harbors, that of Havre k I'Anglois — Louisbourg — was regarded as the most eligible. Meanwhile, the Acadians, as well as the inhabitants of New- foundland, were pressed by the French Governor of Louis- bourg, M. de Costabello, to remove to Cape Breton, which the groat body of the latter did. The Acadians, however, could not appreciate the advantages to be gained in removing from the fertile meadows of the Annapolis valley to a soil which, ^■:il ■'VJ! m it ,.v«' "til Appendix D. 74 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA, however excellent, required miich labor to render it fit for cultivation. It appears that they sent a deputation to examine the island and report as to its adaptability for agri- cultural purposes, for one of their missionaries, addressing M. de Costabelle, the Governor, says that,from the visit made, they were satisfied there were no lands in Cape Breton suit- able for the immediate maintenance of their families, since there were not meadows sufficient to nourish their cattle, from which they derived their principal support. He, at the same time, represents the Indians — who had been also desired to remove — as being of opinion that, living as they did, by the chase, the island was quite insufficient for that purpose, as well as from its narrow limits, equally unfitted for the exercise of their natural freedom. But whilst declin- ing to leave Nova Scotia, the Acadians expressed a firm determination to continue loyal to the King of France, affirming that they would never take the oath of allegiance to the Crown of England, to the prejudice of what they owed to their King, their country, and their religion, and intimat- ing their resolution in the event of any attempt to make them swerve from their fidelity to France, or to interfere with the exercise of their religion, to leave the coimtry and betake themselves to Cape Breton, then called the Isle Eoyale.* M. de la Eonde Denys was a grandson of Nicholas Denys, to whom a grant of the island had been made, and who had a high opinion of its resources, and did what lay in his power to develope them. Being an officer connected with the French force in Newfoundland, young Denys removed to Louisbourg, and it is refreshing to note his appreciation of the capabilities of the island, as described in a letter ad- dressed to the French Minister, asking for certain grants of land with a view to colonization. He tells the Minister that m * Letter from Felix Pain to M. de Costabelle. GOVERNOR NICHOLSON AND THE ACADIANS. 7& in Massachusetts there are fifteen hundred vessels built yearly, and there are no obstacles to the same thing being done in Capo Breton, as it is deficient neither in wood, coal nor masting, and that even hemp can bo gro^vn there to make cordage and sails. It was about this tirao that another French officer con- nected with the navy, M. do la Boulardrio, who had greatly distinguished himself in the defence of Port Eoyal in 1T08, obtained the beautiful island which now bears his name. The sincerity of the resolution formed by the Acadians, to continue faithful to the French King, was soon tested on the arrival of Governor Nicholson, as he required them to swear allegiance, as implied in the stipulation of the treaty of Utrecht, when they unanimously refused to do so, pre- ferring to leave the country. It appears from a copy of a letter in the State paper office, London, from M. de Pont- chartrain. Minister of Marine at Paris, to M. D'Iberville, the French Ambassador in London, dated the seventh of November, 1714, that two officers wore sent to Nova Scotia from Cape Breton for the purpose of asking permis- sion for the inhabitants to remove to that island, such per- mission being now necessary, as the stipulated pei'iod within which it could otherwise take place had expired. The French Ambassador having handed M. Pontchartrain's letter to Lord Townsend, it was sent by his lordship to the Board of Trade, who, immediately forwarded a copy to Colonel Vetch, then in London, who had commanded the garrison of Annapolis, asking him to report on the expediency of permitting the French inhabitants to remove from the Pro- vince. The reply of Colonel Vetch is dated twenty-fourth November, 1714, and throws considerable light on the con- dition of the Acadiana at this period. The Colonel says that the number of French families " in the countries of L'Accady and Nova Scotia," according to data obtained by him after three years' residence in the country, was five bun- TT te niSTORV OP NOVA SCOTIA. ■f 1; dred, which, at tho rate of five to each family, made alto- gothor a population of two thousand flvo hundred souls. In answer to tho question embodied in the communication of tho Board of Trade, as to how many might be oxiioctod to leave in the event of permission being granted, he asserts tliat the whole of tho population, with the exception of two families who had lived formerly in New England, had come under a written obligation to remain. lie estimates tho population of Capo Breton at this time about the same aa that of Nova Scotia, not including the garrison, consisting of seven companies — the number having been recently augmented by emigration from Newfoundland. lie strong- ly deprecates permission to remove, on the ground that tho country would be left destitute of inhabitants — these being all French, except the garrison at Annapolis — thaL the French would be greatly strengthened in Capo Breton for aggressive purposes, and since many of them had inter- married with the Indians, the whole trade in peltry would be transferred to the island. He estimates the number of cattle that the French would take with them at five thousand, with a proportionate number of sheep and hogs. He also says that if tho French had been left to the freedom of their own will they would have desired to remain, but " that they were importuned, and threatened by the French officers to be treated as rebels unless they removed." Tho consequences that would follow the departure of the inhabitants, as forcibly described by Colonel Vetch, seem to have induced the British Government to delay insisting on the administration of the oath, whilst the disinclination of the people to depart, if not pyessed to swear allegiance, inclined the French authorities to be less peremptory in their demand, thinking probably that whilst the people wore in a state of practical neutral- ity, they would continue attached to French interests, and might, in the event of war, be rendered more formidable, with their Indian allies, in assisting to wrest the country J 'i TEMPER OP THE ACADIANS. M ft'om tho English, than if thoy were rcsiclont in tho Islo Jloyalo. Such appears to bo tho key to the vacillating policy of tho English and French Governments at this period, in refercnco to tho Aciulian.s. Tho temper of the French inhabitants at this time towards English rule, is indicated incidentally in tho instructions given by the Governor of Annapolis to tho officers appointed to proclaim George the First, on his ascension to the throno in 1714, after the death of Queen Anno, where they are enjoined to inform them- selves as they visit tho ports of Shcknecto, Eiver St, John, Pasmacody, and Penobscot, " how tho inhabitants stand affected to tho English Crown, tho nature of their occupa- tions, and tho reasons why they do not, as usual, come into these parts and vend their commodities." Tho instructions also required tho oaths of allegiance "to be tendered to such as were willing to take them in the form proscribed." Here there is not a word of threatened compulsion in case of non- compliance. From a letter from Thomas Caulfield — who was Lieutenant-Governor of Annapolis, onder General Nicholson, from 1714 to 1717 — to the Board of Trade, in which he had enclosed the report of the officers sent to proclaim King (ieorgo, and tender the oaths of allegiance, he says, tho inhabitants, as anticipated by Colonel Vetch, '• had refused the oaths," and asks for instructions as to liow they were to be treated. It appears y*«*;^y a subsequent letter from the Lieutenant-Governor, that a number of the French who had removed to tho island of St. John — Prince Edward Island — had not liked the change, and returned to the Peninsula. Caulfiold also dilates on the advantages to be derived from allowing the French to remain in the country, or in other words, on the inexpediency of forcing the oath upon them ; assigning, as one reason, that when the present generation passed away, that which succeeded it would probably bo loyal to the British Crown. He accounts for the attachment IS HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. 'I i of the Indians to tho Frondi by stating tliat thoy Imvo 08tal)liHhcd stores for supplying tho natives witli goods in exchange f>»' furs and feathers, and urges tho adoption of similar moans hy the English Government. fJonoral Ilicliard Phillips was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, as tho successor of General Nicholson, in August, 1717, and John Doucot succoodod Thomas Caulfiold as Lieu- tonant-Govornor of Annajiolis. Phillii)s, in a letter to tho Board of Trade, dated Boston, tho third of January, 1719, complains of the Roman Catholic priests as endeavoring, in their sermons, by fierce invectives, to render British rule ■odious — Piro Vincent and Felix having particularly distin- guished themselves as enemies to British interests, assuming tho functions of governors of Minas and Chcgnecto. Tho French he represents as having grown particularly insolent, refusing cither to swear allegiance or to leave the country'. Ho hopes on his arrival in tho province to induce the people, by fair means, to change their tactics ; but ho rocomraonds a reinforcement of troops as tho best remody for the evil — tho present garrison at Annapolis being utterly inadequate for tho repression of a refractory and rebellious spirit. Ho says that in the neighboring settlement there are four hundi-od families to which a large accession may bo expected in a few years, and urges, therefore, this as the time to deal reso- lutely with the inhabitants. In the archives we also find an interesting document addressed to Lord Carteret, His Majes- ty's Principal Secretary of State, in which Phillips repre- sents the Acadians as " settlers on a fertile soil, raising a great store of corn and cattle, and traflScking in furs at plea- sure with the neighboring French colonies at Cape Breton and the Island of St. John, yet refusing supplies to the garrison in the greatest necessities." Ho accuses tho French " of inciting the Indians to robbery and murder, to the destruction of trade and hindrance of settling the country," and finally expresses his conviction that they only wait a FIDELITY OP THE ACADIAN8 TO FRANCE. 79 ruptiiro botwoon tlio two Crowns to bocomo open rol)cl8 for the eHtablisbmont of their former government. Governor Pliillips arrived nt AnnapoliH in the year 1'720, and on the nineteenth of April held a council, at which it waH resolved to Hend a proclamation to the inhabitantw of the river ordering them to choose six persons to represent the whole body of the jicople, with the view to a conference with the Council on the subject of the oath of allegiance. On the fourth of May the representatives appeared before the Governor, but two of them not having the necessary property qualification were considered ineligible, and an order was issued for the appointment of others in their place. Meanwhile the Acadlans despatched a letter to M. St. Ovide de Brouiilan, who succeeded M. de Costabelle as govei-nor of Capo Breton about the year 1720, asking his advice in the present emergency. They say that to the present lime they have preserved the purest sentiments of fidelity to their invincible monarch, intimcting the arrival of Governor Phillips who insists on their taking the oath, or if they de- termine to leave the country they must do so within four months, and shall not be allowed to take any part of their per- sonal property except two sheep for oiich family. In order to prepare for their departui'e they had begun to make a road to Minas by which to drive their cattle, but the Governor stopped the work by pi'oclamation. Alarmed at this step ©f the Governor, deputies arrived from the inhabitants promising submis' "on. In giving an account of tliese trans- actions to the Home Government, the Governor says that the Acadians pay rent for their lands regularly to lords of manors at Cape Breton ; than which there could not certainly be a more flagrant violation of the treaty of Utrecht. About this time some communications passed between the Govern- ment of Cape Breton and that of Nova Scotia, in which the latter gives details as to the kindness and leniency with 80 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I' l> wliich the British Government had hitherto treated hi* Majesty's French feubjects, and intimates that the time has come when they must either leave or take the oath. Wo are now dealing with the events of the year 1'720, in which Paul Mascarene — who subsequently became Gover- nor Ox' the Province — prepared a description of Nova Scotia for the Boaitl of Trade, which presents a faithful account of its condition at the period to which it relates, and which Governor Phillips in the communication sent with it describes " as the most exact and perfect account of the Province which has been given." After uoscribing the boundaries of the Province, respecting which the British and French Governments could never agree, and which extended ac- cording to British notions €rom the limits of the govern- ment of Massachusetts Bay in New England, or Kennebcclc river, about the forty-fourth degree of Korth latitude, to Cape Eosiers, on the south side of the entrance to the Eiver St. Lawrence, in the same lu^^itude — its breadth extending from the easter-most part of the island of Cape Breton to the south side of the St. Lawrence, out of which tract the French had yielded to them the islands situated in the gulf and at the mouth of the river — the writer describes the quality of the soil, and the kinds of wood in which the country abounds. The copper mines of Cape Dore had been worked several times, but the great expense had discouraged the undertakers. There wore good coal mines at Chegnecto, and at the St. John river abundance of white marble, which burned into r,ood lime. At this time there wore five considerable settlements on the south side of the Bay of Fundy, the inhabitants of which were Fronch and Indians, and of which one thousand wore capable of bearing arms. The fort is represented as situated about two leagues above Goat Island, on a piece of rising sandy ground, on the south side of the river, at a point form- ed by the British river, and another small one called Jenny MM DESCRIPTION OF " MANIS. 81 ■\m river. Tho lower town lies along the first and is commanded by tho fort, and the upper town stretches in scattered houses a mile and a half south-east from the fort, on the rising ground between the two rivers. Fi'om the rising ground to the banks of each river, and on the other side of the smaller one, lie large meadows which formerly were protected from tho water and produced good grain and sweet grass, biit the " dykes " being broken down, they are overflowed at every spring tide to five leagues above the fort. On both sides of the British river are fine farms inhabited by about two hun- dred ."amilies-the river not being navigable more than two leagues above the fort by any other than small boats. The banks of tho river are very pleasant and frrdtful, and produce wheat, rye and other grain, also pulse, garden roots, and splendid cabbages. Here abound cattle and fowl, and Masca- rone adds that if the several good tracts of land along this river were well improved they would serve for a much greater number of inhabitants. The chief employment of the inhabitants was farming, and their spare time they occupied in the chase — many of the young men being engaged in summer in fishing. " Manis," says the writer — called by tho French Les Mines — "has its name from tho copper mines which are said to be about it, especially at one of the Cr> oes which divides the Bay of Fundy, and is called Cap des Mines, or Cape Dore. This town lies thirty leagues by sea and about twenty- two by land, east north-east from Annapolis Royal, on the rame side of the Bay of Fundy; the harbour there is very wild and insecure. The vessels trading there, which seldom exceed forty or fifty tons, take the opportunity of the tide which commonly rises nine or ten fathoms, and run up a creek to the town, where when the tide loaves them thej lie dry on a bank of mud which stretches five or six miles before it meets with low water mark. The houses, which compose a kind •. scattered town, lie on a rising ground along two mmmmm H i I 1 \ 1 ! ■' 82 ntSTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. creeks which run betwixt thorn and the meadow, which is thus formed into a kind of peninsula which has a great store of cattle and other conveniences. The inhabitants hero are more numerous than those of tho British river.'' Cobequid, Truro and Onslow and tho surrounding coun- try had at this time about fifty French families in comfort- able circumstances. Chegnecto is described as situated on the westermost branch of the Bay of Fundy, almost at the upper end of it — tho inhabitants consisting of seventy or eighty families. This region abound'^d in cattle more than any other, and there was a brisk trade carried on between it and Capo Breton. In August, 1'720, the Indians attacked, during tho dead of niglit, the English fishermen at Canso, killing three or four of then, and robbing them of property to tho value of about £20,000 currency. In this attack they were assisted by tho French, who carried ofl^ a largo quantity of fish, a por- tion of which was rocovereu through tlie energy of tho master of a sloop which had entered the harbor, and who had bra- vely volunteered his services. Apjjlication was made to tho Governor of Cape Breton for redress, but in vain. lie con- tended that as the Indians were not French subjects no just claim could be preferred. Some of the Indians engaged in tho robbery found, on their return to Minas, a trading vessel belonging to a Mr. John Aldon, which, in presence of the French inhabitants, they plundered with impunity. These daring outrages led the Governor and Council to assemble in September, 1720, for tho purpose of consulting as to the state of tho country, and reporting to tho Homo Government. In their statement ''>oy say tho French still refuse the oath ; that they continue to build houses, and make other improvements which show they have no present inten- tion of leaving the country ; that British authority is despised beyond the guns of the fort, and that the inhabitants disregard orders tending to promote His Majesty's service. As a } iU ACADIAN ODTRAGES. 83 remedy for the evil the Home Government are recommended to send a sufficient force to keep them in subjection, and insure obedience. The Board of Trade replies to the effect that the only course seems to be the removal of the French from the Province, but the Council are instructed to take no action in that direction without positive orders from His Majesty. i h I'i II CIIArTEE v. f ':. i ii ' If Lawrence Armstrong appointed Governor — His deatli — lleturn of General Phillips — He retires to England — Succeeded by Paul Mascarine — His life and administration — His despatch to the Secretary of State — "War declared between France and Great Britain — The French besiege Port lioyal and retire — Fortress of Louisbourg — Its extent and position — Proposal to attack it — Governor Shirley of Massachusetts raises an expedition, commanded by William Pepperell — The co-operation of the fleet — Landing of the troops — The siege — The capitulation— Re- joicings in New England — Capture of French prizes — Mortality among the troops — The French take measures to recapture Louisbourg — Duke D'Anville's expedition — Partial destruction of the fleet — Arrival at Halifax — Death of DAnville — Death of Admiral D'Estournelle — Return of the fleet to France — Governor Mascarine's policy towards the Acadians — Failure of M. Marin's expedition — De Ramazay captures Grand Pre — Treaty of Aix-la- Chapelle — Restoration of Cape Breton to France. General Phillips having gone to England in 1722, Law- rence ^ i'mstrong, who had been Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment of the general, was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Provirce in 1'724, which he retained till 1739. He had been app-)inted a member of the first council at Anna- polis by Governor Phillips, in 1720. He seems to have been of a remarkably sensitive temperament, and to have brooded over the difficulties of his position to such a degree that his mind became affected. He committed suicide on Thursday, the sixth of December, 1739, being found dead in his bed, with five wounds in his breast, and his sword by his side. Governor Armstrong, like his predecessors, had endeavor- ed to induce the French to take the oath, which they, as usual, refused to do, unless a clause were inserted by which they were absolved from bearing arms. By the advice of his ,: l|t ■^li; •i-:M PAUL MASCARENE. 85 council, the governor so far complied as to have it written on the margin of the rrench translation of the declaration, which the inhabitants of Annapolis and the neighborhood accordingly signed. General Phillips returned to Annapolis about the close of 1728, for he addressed the Duke of Newcastle on the third of January, 1729, stating that he had got all the people of the settlement on the Eiver Annapolis to take the oath unconditionally, this being the first instance in which it was so administered. When the ice breaks up he is to visit the other settlements, and is sanguine of obtaining the submission of the entire population. In a communication to the Duke of Newcastle, of date second September, 1730, he intimates the successful completion of the good work. The General returned again to England in the year 1731. He continued nominally governor of Nova Scotia, receiving half the salary attached to the office, and paying General Armstrong, who acted for him in Annapolis, the other half. On the death of Armstrong, Phillips, in order to save his pay, requctcd that the offce of Lieutenant Governor should not bo continued, but that the governors of the fort should administer the government of the Province, which they did without addition- al pay — General Phillips being allowed to remain in England and receive the whole salary o' • overnor till 1749, Avhen he was succeeded by Cornvv^allis. Phillips lived till he had attained the age of ninety years. Governor Armstrong was succeeded in* 1740 by Paul Mascarene. He was born in Castras, in the south of France, in the year 1G84. His father, who was a Huguenot, having been compelled to fly from France at the revocation of the edict of Nantes, young Mascarene fell to the charge of his grandmother. At the age of twelve he wont to Geneva, where he was educated, and afterwards went to England, whore he was naturalized in 170G. Two years afterwards, he received the appointment of second Lieutenant in Lord I f i . 86 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Montiagiios rot^imont, then doing duty at Portsmouth. In 1710 ho obtained his commission as Cajitain from Queen Anne, and was ordei'ed by the Secretary of War to proceed to America, where he joined the regiment raised in New England for the taking of Port Eoyal. He there commanded the Grenadiers of Colonel Walter's regiment, and was the officer who took formal possession of the fort in mounting the first Guard. * Mascarene was one of the ablest administrators the Province ever had. lie did not regard it beneath his dignity to correspond with M. Jean Desendavos, a Eoman Catholic ecclesiastic, who came from France to Canada in 1728, and who had been parish priest at Annapolis for many years, on the line by which the secular and sacred functions ought to be separated — one of the characteristics of his administration being the friendly correspondence in which he freely engaged with the Eoman Catholic clergy, whose influence over the Acadians was so dominant. His letters are marked by moderation, decision, and sound judgment. In a despatch, Avritten to the Secretary of State in Decem- ber, 1743, the Governor reviews the condition of the Province, in expectation of a rujiture with France. He intimates plainly that, in the event of war, no dependence can be put on the French population, and that the two strong- holds in the Province — one at Annapolis and the other at Canso — are not in a condition to stand a vigorous siege. War had beoa declared by Great Britain against France on the ninth of April, 17-44, of which early intelligence had reached Louisbourg, which led to hostile action on the part of the French in North America before the English colonies had been informed of the fact. In May, a galley from Massa- chusetts arrived at Annapolis, convoying the news. Now England workmen were at this time busy in putting the fort "• See note by Mr. Akins, Nova Scotia Archives, page 108. ^^ « ;j '1 m^ POLICY OP MASCARENE. Bf P'W in a state of repair, assisted by the people; but no sooner did the latter hear that the Indians were mustering at the instigation of the French, than they left the fort and retui'ncd to their homes. The Indians showed their hostility by approaching the fort, and killing two men, who, contrary to order, had gone out to some of the neighboring gardens. A French attacking force from Louisbourg had arrived, but, though strong, it Avas deficient in resolution, and after making, for several weeks, successive demonstrations at a safe distance from the fort guns — waiting in expectation of a French squadron to assist at the siege — it at length retired, to the relief of the garrison, who were doubtful as to the issue, in the event of a vigorous onset. The admirable policy of Mascareno towards the Acadians, as well as the friendly relations in which he stood with the priesthood, bore good fruit in preventing the people from joining the army sent to attack the fort. Success in the defence was also owing, to a considerable extent, to a body of Indians from the West, who assisted, in Indian war fashion, and who proved more than a match for the Micmacs in the French service. If the year 1'745 was memorable in British history, as that in which Prince Charles Edward Stuart attempted, by force, of arms, to regain the throne of his ancestors, it was equally so in the history of British North America, as that in which the great fortress of Louisbourg was taken. This renowned French stronghold lay on the east coast of the island of Capa Breton. . An admirable drawing of it, as it stood at this period, may be seen in the Provincial Museum. The ram- parts of the fortress were about two miles and a quarter in circumference, and were mounted with formidable artillery' — the number of guns in all the defensive works being about one hundred and sixty. The entrance to the harbor was- guarded at Lighthouse Point, on the south-east, by a for- midable battery. More than halfway towards Point Eoch- fort, on the opposite side, is a small island on which anothen -88 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ■H, I battery was placed. The defences wore, indeed, constructed on the most approved engineering principles of the time, arid, if bravely defended, seemed impregnable. The honor of having first proposed an attack on Louis- bourg is ascribed to several persons. It appears by a note of Mr. Brown, in his history of Cape Breton, that Lieute- nant-Governor Clarke, of the Province of New York, Av'as the first person who suggested the expediency of attacking Loiiisbourg before '! ^kR «0 IIISTOV OP NOVA SCOTIA. ■1 I' the moro active in hastoniiifif hostile preparations, — but Gov- ernor Duchambon asBembled them and delivered a spirited address, in which ho reminded them of their duty, and be- sou^Iit them to fight bravely, in this momentous crisis, for their King and Country. The oration produced a potent impression, and the garrison, with enthusiasm, resolved to defend the place; a landing was, liowever, eflccted by the British without much dil!lculty at Flat Point, within half a league south-w st of the city, where they established them- selves. Towards the extremity of the north-west arm of the harbor wore naval stores, including a groat quantity of wine and brandy. To those the English sot fire. Half a milo nearer the city, and nearly opposite the centre of the opening to the harbor, stood tlio grand battery, which the French suddenly evacuated, and of which the English as pi'omptly took possession, being thus within gun shot of the city. Their guns had boon spiked, but by drilling they were, in a few days, fit for service, and brought to boar with terrible effect on the devoted city. The siege had been pressed with vigor for a month, when it was determined to make a simultaneous attack by soa and land, which the British were the more able to do as the squadron was strength- ened by the arrival of several war ships. Everything was in preparation for the purpose when tlio French governor .sent a message, indicating his desire to capitulate. Terms being agreed to, the British forces took possession of the fortress on the soventeonth of June. The loss of the British during the siege did not exceed one hundred and thirty men, while that of the French could not be accurately ascertained. On entering the fortress, and examining its elaborate scien- tific defences, the army was amazed. Had the defence boon continued with resolution, the loss of life in its capture would have been enormous. The rejoicings in New England, on receiving the intelli- gence, were great. The general joy found expression in LouisnouRa taken. 91 illuininationsi and bonfirow. J']([iial satinfaction was folt in fJrcat Britain. Pei)iiorcll was niado a l»aronot, atid a flag- was conforrod on Commodoro Warren. Warron and Pciiporell iicled m joint f,'ovornors, and, in order to decoy the Fi-oncli vohhoIh, kept tlie flag flying from all the ramparts. The consequence was two East India- men, whose cargoes wore valued at £1'75,000, woi-o captured in a few days, and afterwards a magnilioent prize was taken in the ship " Deliverance " which, under an ostensible cargo of cocoa, had gold, silver and Peruvian dollars to tlie value of £800,000 — the half of which was claimed by the officers and crews of the floot as prize money. Consorts of the " Deliver- ance " wore taken by English privateers oft' the Azores con- taining specie, which it required forty-three waggons to transport from Bristol to London, each sailor receiving when it was divided 850 guineas for liis share. After possession of Louisbourg was obtained, tlie mortality amongst the troops was frightful. Fever, induced by intem- perance, carried off hundreds of the soldiers. Admiral Warron had given orders to lodge all the rum in the jAaco in the citadel casements, ajid a thousand hogsheads were so secured, but the quantity left was such that Admiral Knowles, the successor of Warren in command, stated that a thousand men might be seen daily in a state of inebriety. PeppercU reported that twelve hundred men had died of fever. The glory of the achievement was tarnished by the culpable careless- ness of the governors in not adopting effective measures for the entire destruction or removal of a stimulant, the intem- perate use of which j^roved so fatal to valuable lives. Intelligence of the fall of Louisbourg, and the capture of so many valuable prizes, produced deep and wide-spread consternation in France. It was at once resolved to retake the fortress, and mea-sures were adopted to prepare a fleet adequate for the service. Tlie Viceroy of Canada undertook to CO operate in the undertaking. The fleet consisted of r,%. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4, V.^f 1.0 I.I 11.25 ■iilM 12.5 ■30 ^^" ■!■■ S "^ 112 £ bfi 12.0 U 111.6 v] /. Ws ^ 7J s:, with General Cornwallis and his suite. They lauded on Oeorge's Island soon after." The following is the interesting letter which caused a change in the anniversary. My Louny.— C/ithiirto, 22/id Jnne, 1741). I arrived hero yesterday. This morning a sloop arrived from Mr, Hopson, which I am obliged to send to Boston. I write to your Lord- ships by this sloop in case there should be any vessel there, bound for England. We met the " Fairyland," storeship, at sea, the 11th, after we had been four weeks from England, who told us that the traar- ports had arrived at Spithead the day after we sailed, and had probably come into the Chuunel the same week. AVe were then off the Island of Sab'o. and, except the first eight days, had met with contrary winds all .-he passage. Besides, we had steered our course for Cape Race, but had bcMi forced off the Banks by a gale of wind from the Northwest, BO that I had reason to believe the transports might be soon at Cho. bucto. We had nobody on board that knew anything of the coast or the B.iy . Fandy. so we had to cruise off tlie coast till we should meet with a Pilot. We made the land of Acodie the 1 1th, but mot with no Pilot till the 20th, when we met vith one of the Louisbourg slcoyis from Bost^'i, with two Pilots. The wind did not then serve for the Bay of Fundy, and the officers assured me that, in case of foggy weather, we might be a fortnight getting to Annapolis. The wind was fair for Chebucto, so I thought it advisable to go in there, rather than risk the being so long after the arrival of the settlers ; besides, I could save the garrison of Louisbourg the trouble of the bad navigation to Annapolis, so I wrote to Mr. Hopson, Governor of Louisbourg, that I was going to Chebucto, and desired him to bring the Garris.a thither, imagining he had tran \- ports ready. His sloop, that came in to-day, had orders to wait for me till the !U»th, and he had sent another to Annapolis. By his letters, I find he is in great perplexity ; the French have arrived and he has no transports. The Council of War, it seems, was of opinion that the orders from the Secretary of War did not empower him to hire trans- ports, but he was to wait my arrival, and have, from me, the trans- ports that should bring the settlers here. As I cannot know when the transports will arrive, or -in what condition they may be, nor how many I can spare, I think it absolutely necessary for the service to send *^^he sloops to Boston, with orders f to Apthorp and Hancock, whom Mr. Hopson recommends to me as perse ■\8 that have always served the Government^ to hire vessels, with all expedition, for the transporta- tion of the troops and stores from Louisbourg to Chebucto. I send a letter by the sloop in case she should meet with a vessel CORNWALLIS ARRIVES AT CHEBUCTO. lOT ornor was followed by the traiiHjiorts which arrived early in July, off the harbor, which the officers pronounced to bo tho finest they had over soon. The ground, which is now tho fsito of a considerable city, was then covered with forest trees which grow to tho water's edge. " The country, " said Corn- wnllis, " is one continued wood, no clear spot to bo seen or heard of." A few French families had settled some miles off, who visited tho fleet on its arrival. Tho Governor lost no time in communicating with 3Ias- carono at Annapolis, and as Louisbourg was being evacuated by tho English, he sent two ships thither for two regiments going to Annapolis, for Colonel Mascarene. I likewise send a French- man that knows the country overland by Miuas. I have desired Colonel Mascarene to come here as soon as possible with a quorum of tho Council, that I may open my commission, take the oaths, and appoint another Council, according to His Majesty's instructions. This French- man will be there in three or four days. It is 25 leagues hence to Minas, and there is a path that the French have made by driving their cattle over here. I am giving your Lordships little information as yet as to the country. The coasts are as rich as ever they have been represented. We have caught plenty of fish every day since wo came, within fifty or sixty leagues of the coast. The harbor itself is full of fish of all sorts All the officers say this harbor is the best they have seen. The country is one continued wood — no clear spot to be seen or heard of. I have been ashore in several places. The underwood is only young trees, so that with some difficulty one may make his vay anywhere. The D'An- ville'i- Fleet has only cut wood for present use, but cleared no ground ; they encamped their men upon the ber.ch. I saw a few brooks, but have not found the navigable river th it has been talked of. There are a few French families on each side the Bay, about ten leagues off Several have come on board. We came to anchor in Merligreche Bay ten leagues to the westward, where there is a French settlement, I sent ashore for some fresh provisions, and to see their houses and r^xanners of living. The families they found there have very comfor- table wooden houses covered with bark, a good many cattle and sheep, and clear ground more than serves themselves. As to the number and disposition of the French and Indians I shall be able to give your Lord- hips a full account as soon as I have seen Colonel Mascarene. I am, &c., rSgd.J Ed. Cornwallis. To the Lords Commissioners of / Trade and Plantations. ^ i ■^' 'I 't \ ; ? \ ; r\ IP 102 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. under IIopsoii, !)y wliich tlio colony was accordingly loin- foi'ccd. Knowing tho sovority of tho climate in winter, no delay was permitted in landing the emigrants, and sotting them to work in etlbcting a clearance and erecting habitations. It was at first intended that the town should be built near Point Pleasant, but, on further consideration, it Avas wisely resolved to adopt a site further up the harbor. The ground to be cleared was traced and subdivided into blocks of three hundreti and twenty by one handrod and twenty feet. Streets sixty feet wide wore projected, each block containing sixteen lots with a frontage of forty feet, and sixty fcut deep. The present Buckingham street was the north, and Salter street the 8")uth limit. To prevent disputes the settlers drew for their lots. The subdivision of the labor was a happy idea, lor it produced a rivalry which caused the work to pi-ogress speedily, so that by the beginning of August, aboui twenty acres of the site were cleared. Timber for btiilding purposes was sent from Boston, and though the settlers were unac- quainted with the mode of building wooden houses, yet necessity proved the mother of invention. Mr. Murdoch re- fers to an existing tradition which points to the situation occupied by the Province buildings as that on which the Governor's honse was built, and which is said to have been det'ciiuod by cannon mounted on hogsheads filled with grav- el. Subsequent experience has pi-oven that the site for the town Avas the best that could have been selected, both in regard to beauty of position and business convenience. Amongst the settlers who arrived with Cornwallis was Lieutenant John Creighton — the son of a gentleman in the south of England — who entered the army early in life, and a - at the battle of Fontenoy. IIo was among the officci . discharged at the peace of Aix la Chap- pelle in 1748, and was placed on the half pay of Colonel Warburton's Ecgiment of Foot. Creighton was Bent to I'REPARATIONH KoU WINTEH. 103 Malngash with the GorinniiH, in 1752, aiul took a loailini^ part in the Hcttloment of Luneiibnrji,', wlioro ho continued to reside till hiw death in 18U7. lie was appointed Lieuten- ant Colonel of Militia, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and on the sixth of May, 177(5, a member of His ^Alajesty's Council, which ofHce he afterwards resigned. Mr. Creighton was father of the lute Colonel Joseph Creighton, and grandfather of the Hon. John Creighton, of Lunen- burg, now a member of the Legi.slativo Council of Nova Sco- tia. As indications of winter appoarxl, the movements of the coloni-ta (owards completing their houses, were quickened. Many of the structui'cs were uy no means substantial, or well adapted for so severe a climate. To insufficient pro- tection from cold must, to a great extent, be attribu^Hl the great mortality of tlio siiccceding winter. No doubt the intemperate habits of many of the colonists paved the way for the spread of disease — so weakening their constitutions as to render them incapable of resisting any malady by which they might bo attacked. Colonel Mascarene, having arrived in Halifax on the twenty-third of July, with a quorum of Council, a meeting was hold on tho following da}', at Avhich the Govci-nor pre- sented his commission and took tho oaths of office. On the tho twenty-fifth of the same month a new council was appointed, and sworn in on board one of tho transports. Their names were Paul Mascarene, John Gorham, Benjamin Green, John Salisbury, and Hugh Davidson. At their first meeting, tho necessity of a stringent oath of allegiance being administei-ed to tho Acadians was discussed. Masca- rene informed the Governor that tho Fi-onch always asserted that tho various oaths which they had taken were on the understanding that they shoukl not bo called upon to bear arms against their countrymen. Threo French deputies, who had arrived from different sections of the country, and r m ., 11 i'l fj| If 1 1 II:; k :, ,.■ i jl ii; i iiM 1 :l 1' il 1! m (■ : ■! 104 niSlORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. who had been sent to pay their constituents respects to tho Governor, and for the purpose of ascertaining the policy of His Excellency in regard to the Acadians, were called in, when they were assured that all the privileges which thoy had hitherto enjoyed under English rule would be continued on their taking the oath of allegiance usually administered to His Majesty's subject?. The very decided manner in which the Governor intimated his determination not to be saLisfied with anj' conditional oath from the Acadians alarmed them, and induced them to send deinities from all the principal settlements to Halifax, in order to obtain, if possible, a modification of the required declaration. On finding His Excellency resolved to have the usual oath, without any exceptional clause, they enquired Avhether, in the event of their resolving to leave the country in preforcnce to compliance, they would be allowed to dispose of their property. The Governor promptly replied that such of them as were resolved to leave would not be permitted either to soil or take property of any kind with them, re- minding them that, according to the Treaty of Utrecht, one year was allowed them to dispose of their effects and leave the country if they chose, but that these conditions were now inadmissible, and that they must take the oath before the twenty-sixth of October on pain of forfeiture of all their property. The deputies returned to their constituents, in order to inform them of the Governor's decision, and retui-nod to Halifax on the seventeenth of September with an addi'ess, signed by one thousand inhabitants, in which they stated their willingness to take the oath, but with the usual pro- vision of not bearing arms, and assured the Governor that compliance with his demand would expose them to tho fury of tho Indians, who were in close alliance with the French, The Governor addressed the deputies in French, reminding them that they were subjects of His Britannic Majesty, and INDIAN OUTRAGES. 105 that it would be contrary to common sense to suppose that they could dwell in a province and possess houses and lands, without being subjects of the sovereign of that Pi-ovince, and that they deceived themselves if they thought they were atliborty to chose whether they would bo the King's subjects or not. The governor, till October, had dated all his official dec- patches Chcbucto but his house being ready for occupa- tion in October, he removed to it in that month, and subse- ■qnently dated his despatches Halifax. Such was the energy with which the colonists worked, that, on the twenty-eighth of October, they had three hundred houses roofed and made habitable. The military had sur- rounded the town with a bai-ricade for protection against Indian attack, which they finished about the same time. On the arrival of the Governor, the Indians seemed ex- tremely friendly. They visited his Excellency and received presents. Afterwards, a formal treaty was prepared, which was signed with due formality, but was soon violated on their part. In October they attacked six men engaged in cutting wood near Dartmouth, killing four, making one a prisoner ; the sixth man escaped. At Canso they took twenty Englishmen prisoners, besides committing other hostilities. These breaches of good faith further led to the adoption of the principle of extermination on the part of the Governor, a considerable sum of money being offered for any Indian scalps produced. The Lords of Trade dis- approved of these retaliating measures, for in writing from Whitehall on the sixteenth of October, 1749, to the Governor, they say, " as to your opinion, however, of never hearafter making peace with them, and of totally extirpat- ing them, we cannot but^ think that, as the prosecution of such design must be attended with acts of great severity, it may prove of dangerous consequence to the safety of His V 106 HISTORY QV NOVA SCOTIA. h r? f ' ,;l Majesty's other colonics on the continent, by filling the minds of the bordering Indians with ideas of our cruelty, and insti- gating them to a dangerous spirit of resentment. The Gov- ernor was not by any means naturally cruel or unrelenting, but felt exasjierated at Indian treachery, and grieved at the horrid treatment to which prisoners were subjected by the savages. lie had already tried fair means in order to con- ciliate them, and these having signally failed, he was deter- mined to make them feel the full weight of his resentment. The hostility of the Indians Avas said to have been excited by Joseph de la Loutre — a determined enemy of British rule who Avas sent to Canada by the Society of Foreign Missions at Paris, in the year 173T. He acted in the capacity of missionary to the Micmacs in Nova Scotia as early as 17-10. Governor Mascarenc gives him, in writing to the Secretarj^ of State, a very bad character, representing him as treacher- ously surprising and killing nil the English he found with- out the fort, destroying their cattle and burning their houses. Large supplies of money, fire-arms and ammuni- tion were furnished him by the French government, with leading members of which he was in constant communica- tion. His principal residence Avas near Fort Lawrence, in Cumberland, but he travelled frequently' through every part of the Province, putting himself in communication with the Indian chiefs, to whom he gave liberal presents, and over wiiom his influence seemed almost supreme. Part of liIs system was to intercept government despatches, by means of the Indians. Thus in March, 174G, he intercepted the- letters of tho Governor of Louisbourg to Governor Masca- rene at Annapolis and sent them to Quebec, and, in July following, he assisted tho officers of a French frigate on the coast of Nova Scotia in the capture of several vessels, laden with supplies for the British forces. He had influential correspondents in France who sent money for the mission^ DE LA LOUTRE. lOT part of which he applied in constructing an aboiteau at Cumberland, by which a considerable tract of land was reclaimed from the sea. Owing to the moans at his dispo- sal, his influence over some of the other priests 'was con- siderable. De laLoutre had acted in opposition to the instruc- tions of the Bishop of Quebec, under whom ho held the office of Vicar-General of Acadia, as ap^^oars in a letter addressed to him by the Bishop. " You have at last," says the Bishop, " got into the very trouble which I foresaw, and which I predicted long ago. The refugees could not fail to get into misery, sooner or later, and to charge you with be"ng the cause of their misfortunes. It will bo the same with those of the Island of St. John whenever war breaks out. They will bo exposed to the English, ravaged without ceasing, and will throw the blame upon you. The Court thought it necessary to facilitate their departure from their lands, but that is not the concern of our profession. It was my opinion that we should neither say anything against the course pursued, nor anything to induce it. I reminded you long ago that a priest ought not to meddle with tempo- ral affairs, and that, if he did so, he would always cicale enemies, and cause his people to be discontented." To the colonists at Halifax, De la Loutre was a dangerous enemy. IIo instigated Jean Baptisto Cojie, the Indian chief of the Shubcnaccadie river to do them all the mischief in his power. In giving Captain Silvanus Cobb instructions for tho apprehension of Do laLoutre, Cornwallis says, " that he has certain information of his being the author and adviser of all the disturbances the Indians have made in the Pro- vince." He is al.^o accused of having caused the death of Edward How, a member of Cornwallis' Council, who, just after leaving Fort Lawrence, in approaching one in the garb of a French officer, with a white handkerchief in his hand, as a token of his desiring a conference, was shot dead by Indians who lay concealed in tho bush. Poor How was I 'f-1 H ■t ! ;f f i:r. 108 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA, popular both with the French and Indians, and jealousy of his influence was supposed to have led to the perpetration of the atrocious deed. " Pride and vanity were his predo- minant failings" — says an article onDela Loutro, in the col- lections of the Historical Society of Quebec. "After ruining the Acadians by his um>'ise counsels, he abandoned them in the moment of their distress. For fear of falling into the hands of the British, be left Fort Beausejour in disguise, crossed to the river St. John, and went thence to Quebec, where, instead of a welcome, he received bitter reproaches from his bishop." He embarked for Fi-ance shortly after, but the vessel in which he took passage was captured by the British, and he was made a prisoner, and seat to Elizabeth Castle in Jersey, where he remained eight years in confinement. He returned to France at the conclusion of the peace in 1163, and was never further heard of. In the month of August, 1750, the ship Alderney arrived in Halifax, with about three hundred and fifty emigrants, w^ho were sent to the opposite side of the harbor of Halifax, and founded the town of Dartmouth in the Autumn of that 3'^ear. Mr. Aikins says, that in December following, the first ferry was established, and John Connor appointed ferryman, by order in Council. " In the following year," continues Mr. Aikins, " the Indians surprised the little village at night, scalped a number of settlers and carried off several prisoners. The inhabitants, fearing an attack, had cut down the spruce trees near their settlement, which, instead of a protection as was intended, served as a cover for the enemy. Captain Clapham and his company of Eangers were stationed on Blackburn Hill, and, it is said, remained within his block house firing from the loop-holes during the whole aff'air. The light of the torches and the discharge of musketry alarmed the inhabitants of Halifax, some of whom put off to their assistance, but did not arrive in any force till after the Indians had retired. The night was calm, and the cries DEPUTIES FROM THE ACADIANS. 109 of the settlers and whoops of the Indians were distinctly heard on the western side of the harbor. On the following morning, several bodies wore brought over — the Indians having carried off the scalps. Mr. Pyke, father' of the late John George Pyke, lost his life on this occaoion. Those who fled to the woods were all taken prisoners but one." Mr. Aikins adds that there was a guard house and small military post at Dartmouth, from its first settlement, and a gim mounted on the points near the sawmill — in the cove — in 1750. The transports which had been housed during the winter for the accommodation of settlers, were anchored in the cove, under cover of this gun, and the ice kej^t broken around them to preveni the approach of the Indians. Deputies from the Acadians having again come to the Governor to petition for liberty to retire from the Province with their property, expressing their detei-mination not to sow seed, the produce of which others were destined to reap, the Governor reasoned with them as to the impropriety of their conduct, urging them to perform their usual spring labor. His Excellency was more conciliatory than usual, and the key to his altered manner is found in a letter, dated the •eleventh September, 1749, addressed to the Board of Trade, in which he says : — " I am sure they will not leave their habitations this season. My view is to make them as useful as possible to His Majesty while they do stay. If afterwards they are still obstinate and refuse the oath, I shall receive, in spring, His Majesty's further instructions from your lord- ships." Having complied with the Governor's wishes in re- gard to the cultivation of their land, the deputies returned, in order to receive a specific answer to their petition. The Governor, in an address, complimented the people on their in- dustry and temperance, and on the absence amongst them of any vice or debauchery. He reminds them that they have had every possible assurance of the free and public exercise of their religion, and that they possess the only cultivated H m '&m ■■l^^''.'''*> 110 HISTORY OF NCVA SCOTIA. R! I land in the Province, producing grain and nourishing cattle sufficient for the whole colony, but he peremptorily refuses to allow them to retire in a '^ody, even without their pro- perty, as the French who are at present establishing them- selves, in violation of the late treaty in various parts of the Province, will compel them to take up arms against British authority ; but he promises after the country becomes more settled, to give passports to such as shall ask for them.* Cornwallis returned to England in the summer of 1752. His administration was most effective, proving him to have been a man of rare gifts for government. Wisdom, decision, tact and energy distinguished his rule. He infused vigor into every department of his government. In conformity with his instructions, he made provision for the due admi- nisti'ation of the law, erecting three Courts. The first was a court of General Sessions, similar to Courts of the same name in England. The second was a County Court, having juris- diction over the whole Province, and held by persons in the Commission of the Peace at Halifax, who sat monthly, and decided all sums in dispute, without limitation as to their amount, or restriction as to the nature of the action ; the litigants having power to appeal to the Supreme or General Court, of which the Governor and Council were the judges. It met twice a year, and, with the assistance of a jury, tried all criminal offences, and decided appeals from the County Court, when the sum exceeded five pounds, f For the protection of the settlement and the maintenance of order, Cornwallis formed a body of militia to the number of eight hundred and fortj'^, fortified George's Island, erected forts at Grand Pre, Pizequid, Chegnecto ; and also at Cbebucto left a flourishing town whei-e he had found, three years ago, a dense 11 * Appendix E. For further particulars as to the administration of the law see Halibiu'ton's History, vol. 1, page 164. ir GOVERNOR nOPSON, 111 forest. Yet this was the man, who, in addressing the Lords of Trade, spoke of himself as knowing littlo of business. "I have applied myself" ho adds, " as closely as possible to each branch, but, indeed, my Lords, it is too much for any one person. The distress I meet with, the variety I have to go through, Sir Danvers Osborne can testify." That the C4ovornor had genuine sympathy for those committed to his charge, is proved by the incidental fact that he erected a school room and made other provision for orphan children. It is perhaps not too much to say that Cornwallis accom- plished an amount of work in three years, which an ordinary man could scarcely have performed in six. Governor Cornwallis was succeeded by Peregine Thomas Hopson, in August, 1752. In a despatch sent by him to the Lords of Trade, dated twonty-thix'd of July, 1753, the new Governor gives an account of the Acadians and Indians, which is interesting as relating to a period so near that of the expulsion of the former from the Province. The num- ber of Acadian families he puts down at 973, who are mainly settled in Pizequid, River Canard, Minas and Annapolis. The other settlements, Coboquid, Eimchigne, Tatamagouche and Cape Sable, containing only sixty-three families. He esti- mates the Micmacs at about three hundred families, and says that at no time 'lad more than two hundred of them appear- ed in arms. He remarks, it may appear unaccountable to their lordships that with such a force as ho has at his dis- posal he should solicit further military aid, accounting for the apparent anomaly from the number of soldiers required to defend the various forts, and the peculiarities of Indian warfare. He adds that the French are strengthening them- selves at Fort Beausejour, in Cumberland, and expresses his conviction, that till the French flag is removed, the English colonists can have no settled peace. * ' Appendix F. 112 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. i i It ,; ' i : li ii^ ;■ ! Tiio colony received a very important accession in the spring of the year 1751, by t'lo arrival of nine hundred and fifty-clghii-iorman settlers, to which a thousand more were added in the following year. For the accommodation of so large a number of persons, wooden barracks were erected. In the spring of 1753, it was resolved to remove fifteen hundred of them to Mcrliguesh — Lunenburg — which was accordingly done, transports having lx;on provided for that jiurposc. They were furnished with building and otlier materials, necessary for the erection of a town. They were accompanied by 3Iajor Gorham, Lieutenant Creighton and a company of Eangors, and enjoyed all the privileges granted to the settlement at Halifax, the remainder being located in the North Suburbs, called Dutch Town. During the administration of Governor Hopson, which, in consequence of ill-health compelling him to leave for Eng- land, lasted only for a few months, two petitions wore pre- sented to him — one from the inhabitants of Grand Pre, Eivor Canard, Pizequid, &c., and the other from the inhabi- tants settled near Megoguich. The first prayed that their mis- sionaries may not be required to take the oath of allegiance and the second that they may be allowed to return to their former lands, without b-^'^^" required to bear arms against any people, whether French or Savages, or people of any other nation ; that they may be permitted to retire, if they feel so disposed, with high head — la tete levee — and do with their property what they please, and that they may have the en- joyment of their religion without any restraint whatever. These petitions went before the council, and though the replies were extremely conciliatory, they were not satisfactory to the petitioners. On the departure of Governor Hopson, di the first of November, 1753, the administration of the Province was committed to Charles Lawrence, Major in Warburton's regi- ment of foot, which formed part of the garrison of Louis- ' if; DISTURBANCES Ar LUNENBURG. 113 bourg, under Ilopson. Ho hod joined the army at Halifax in July, 1749, and soon after was appointed by Governor Cornwaliis one of his council. During the years 1750 and 1751, ho was outraged in driving the French from their encroachments at Boaubasein and Chognecto. He had also accomi)anied the German emigrants to 3Ierliguesh, and assisted in founding the town of Lunenburg. In December, serious disturbances occurred at Lunenbivrg, which were occasioned by French emissaries instigating the people to rebellion. The ostensible cause of them was the sup- posed concealment of a letter received by Mi-. Zouberbuhler, J.P., containing a list of articles sent for the use of the colonists from England. Under torture, by the mob, one John Petriquin said ho had received t'^n guineas from Mr. Zouberbuhlei", for concealing the list of articles. This decla- ration, which was probably utterly false, having been elicited under pain, exasperated the people. Lieutenant-Colonel Sutherland, who had command of the few troops at Lunen- biu'g, being unable to allay the tumult, applied to Governor Lawrence for assistance, which was promptly granted, and order restored. " In this year," says Mr. Miu-doch, " we find, perhaps, the earliest notice extant, of a newspaper published in Nova Scotia,"* referring to an incidental allusion to the " Halifax Gazette," in a letter of Secretaiy Cotterell to Captain Floyer, at Pizequid. The paper, to which Mr. Murdoch refers, was first published in January, 1769, by Anthony Henry, and was designated the "Nova Scotia Chronicle or Weekly Gazette," and was edited by Captain Bulkley, who was for many years Secretary of the Province and Member of Council. The printing office stood at the lower sido of Grafton Street, in rear of the residence of the once Attorney- .1 < ,•- 4^ * Murdoch's History, vol. 2, p. 234. 114 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. General Uniacko. Henry was a provincial, and sottlod in Halifax after the seigc of Louisbourg.* In Cumberland wore two forts, about a mile and a half apart — the one being Fort Lawrence, held by the Englit^h, and the other Fo t Boausc^our, held by the French. In the year 1754, General Shirley, the Governor of Massachusetts, entered into a correspondence with Sir Thomas Eobinson, Secretary of State, with a view to the reduction of the French stronghold. Instructions having been sent to Governor Lawrence, ho ordered Colonel Monckton and Captain Scott to proceed to Boston, in order to consult with Shirley as to the best mode of raising the necessary force. It was resolved that two thousand men should be got ready for the expe- dition, and that the business should be managed with the utmost celerity and secrecy. By the twentieth of April, 1*755, eighteen hundred men were raised in New England, and embarked on board transports at Boston, to wait for arms expected from England, which arrived on the eight- eenth of May. The expedition, consisting of thirty-six vessels, sailed on the twenty-third, under the command of Monckton, and the troops were landed on the second day of June, near Fort Lawrence. Vergor, the commander of the French fort, immediately sent messengers to the inhabitants, ordering them to hasten immediately to Beausojour, on pain of death in case of disobedience. A number responded to the call, sending their wives and children inland. The gar- rison of Beausejour consisted of one hundred and fifty men. After operations, which it is unnecessary to detail, the English, on the morning of the sixteenth of June, fired a shell of 250 pounds, which fell on a casement which was used as a prison, and in which, unfortunately, an English officer was confined, who, together with a French officer, an •History of the settlement of Halifax, by Thomas B. Akins, pp. 40 and 49. CAPTURE OP FORT BEAU8EJ0UR. 115 iiitcrprotcr, and aclork, woro inntantly killed. Tlii.s accident unnerved the defenders, who sent a nnessago to the English commander, desiring to capitulate. In the fort was Do la Loiitro, to whoso hopes the surrender of it proved destruc- tive, and who prudently escaped before the English entered. The garrison was sent toLouIsbourg, and the Acadians par- doned, on the ground that they were forced into the French service. The fort of Boausejour was now named Fort Cum- berland. On its fall, another small one, on the Gaspereaux, surrendered. Captain Rous, who commanded the naval part of the expedition, then left for the river St. John. On his arrival there, the French blew up their magazine and departed. Thus the expedition was completely successful in accomplishing its object. ' : \ ) CUAPTER VII. ; 11' ' III ' ill If'!' I! TIic Acadians — The noccsHity for tlu'ir rt'nioval from the Province— Tlic Abbo llajnnl'H " IMiilosophical and Political IliHtory " — His description of the Acadians — Cliaracter of the Clergy — Character of the Acadians — They finally decline to take the oath of alle- giance — Measures for their removal — Colonel Winslow — His ad- dress to the Acadians at Grand Pro — Their embarkation — Destination — Reception at Virginia, Carolina, &c. — The policy of the British Government in connection with the Acadians. — Conduct of Governor Lawrence. We have now come to that interesting period of the history of Nova Scotia when it became necessary to remove the Acadians from the Province — necessary because no one, on an unprejudiced review of the manner in which they had been treated by the British Government, from the conclu- sion of the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, to the year of their removal, can come to any other conclusion than that they enjoyed privileges for forty-two years which would not pro- bably have been conceded, under similar circumstances, by any other Government in Europe. Notwithstanding thoii* pertinacious refusal to swear allegiance to the British Crown, they had all the advantages of British subjects, having full religious liberty, holding their lands without being subjected to any direct tax, and having the protection of British power without being required to fight, like loyal subjects, for its maintenance. And what return did the Acadians make for the kindness and consideration shown them? In violation of law, they traded systematically with the enemies of Britain, withheld supplies from the garrison of Annapolis when distressed for want of pro- visions, allowed a British vessel to be plundered at their very door by a party of eleven savages without rendering THE ABBfi RAVN.VT-. 117 any .lid to the owner, not to apeak of the charges of furnish- ing information to tlie enemy, and of paying rent for tlioir hinds to Lords of Manors in Capo Breton ; anil when the fort of Boausejour was talion, three hundred of their num- ber wore found with arms in their hands, in open rebellion against the British Crown.* \s beautiful jjoem of Longfellow was evidently based 0. ' scription which the Ahh6 llaynal has given of the Acau.ans, in the fifth volume of his "Philosophical and Political History," and has had the effect of making the tragic tale of their removal known throughout Europe exciting deep and wide-spread sympathy in their behalf, with corresponding indignation at the treatment thoy re- ceived, it becomes necessary to review the statements of this historian, and ascertain to what extent his description corresponds with that of others, whoso means of obtaining accurate information were superior to his oavd, and, also, to adduce some facts which may enable the reader to determine the amount of blame attaching to the British Government for the manner in which the transportation of the people wjus effected. The following is the description of Eaynal, as translated by J. O. Justamond, F.E.S., and is substantially the same as that given by Mr. Ilaliburton : " There were twelve or thirteen hundred Acadians settled in the capital ; the rest were di-.pereed in the neighboring country. No magistrate was evor appointed to rule over them, and they were never acquainted with the laws of England. No rents or taxes of any kind were over exacted from them. Their new sovereign seemed to have forgotten them, and they were equally strangers to him. Hunting, which had formerly been the delight of the colony, and might still have supplied it with subsistence, had no fui-ther m m wt •Nova Scotia Archives, p. 277. -M 4i ;:iii II i ^ 111! lis HT8T0RY Oy NOVA SCOTIA. littrnction for a simple and quiet people, and gave way to agriculture. It had been begun in the marshes in the low lands, by repelling the sea and the rivers which covered these plains, with dykes. These grounds yielded fifty times as much as before. Wheat and oats succeeded Ifcst in them, but they likewise produced rye, barley and maize. There were also potatoes in great plenty, the use of which was bo- come common. At the same time, the immense meadows were covered with numerous flocks. Sixty thousand head of cattle were computed there, and most of the families had several hiorses, though the tillage was carried on by oxen. The habitations, built entirely of wood, were extremely con- venient, and furnishdd as neatly as a substantial farmer's house in Europe. The people had a great deal of poultry of all kinds, which m ide a variety in their food, which was, in general, whoiesomj and plentiful. Their common drink was beer and cider, to which they sometimes added rum. Their usual clothing was, in general, the produce of their own flax and hemp, < r the :'leeoes of their own sheep. With thes'j they made com mon linens and coarse cloths. If any of them had any inclination for articles of greater luxury, they pr( cured them from Annapolis or Louisbourg, and gave in txchange coin, cattle, or furs." " The neutral Fr mch had few articles to dispose of among their neighbors, and still foAver amongst themselves, becu^. .J each separate family was able to provide for its waats. They, there ore, know nothing of paper currency, "which was so comm( m throughout the rest of North Ameri- ca. Even the email quantity of si)ecie which had stolen into the colony did not promote that circulation, which is the greatest advantage that can be derived from it." " Their manners 'vere, of course, extremely simple. There never was a cause, < ither civil or criminal, of importance enough to be carriec before the court of judicature at An- napolis. Whatever little differences arose from time to CHARACTER OF THE ACADIANS, 119 time among them, were amicably adjusted by their elders. All their public acts were drawn by their pastors, who had likewise the keeping of their wills, for which, and their religious services, the inhabitants voluntarily gave them a twenty-seventh part of their harvests. These wore plen- tiful enough to supply more than a suJHciency to fulfil every act of liberality. Heal misery was entij-aiy unknown, and benevolence prevented the demands of poverty. Ever}' misfortune was relieved, as it were, before it could bo felt ; and food was universally dispensed without ostentation oii the part of the giver, and without humiliating the person who received it. These people, amounting to 3ighteen thousand souls, were, in a Avord, a socieiy of 'orethrcn, every individual equally ready to give and to receive what he tnought the common right of mankind Such perfect harmony naturally prevented all those gallantries which are so often fatal to the peace of families. There never was an instance in this society of an unlawful commerce be- tween the Boxes. This evil was prevented by early marrisigcs, for no one T^assed his youth in a state of celibacy. As soon as a young man came to the proper age, the con^munity built him a house, broke up the lands about it, sowed them, and supplied him with all the necessaries ol' life for a twelve- month. Here he received the partner wliom he had chosen, and who brought him her portion in flocks. This new family grew and prospered like the others." The historic - for rhetorical effect, feigning ignorance of what followed, continues in the following strain : " Who will not be affected with the innocent manners, and the tranquility of this fortunate colony ? Who will not wish for the duration of its happiness ? Who will not construct, in imagination, an impenetrable wall, that may separate these colonists from their unjust and tm-bulent neighbors ? The calamities of the people have no period ; but, on the contrary, the end of their felicity if always at hand. A 120 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Tip ali i'l! ! long sei'ies of favorable events is necessary to raise them from misery, while one instant is sufficient to plunge them into it. May the Acadians be exempted from this general curse. But, alas ! it is to be feared that they will not !" With respoct to the number of the population, Raynal says there were twelve or thirteen hundred in the capital, by which he must mean the district of Annapolis, and that the entire Fi-ench population amounted to eighteen thousand souls. In the letter of Colonel Vetch to the Lords of Trade, the aggregate population was estimated in 1714 at two thousand live hundred souls, which, however, scarcely accords with a statement in a letter from Lieut.-Governor Caulfield to the Secretary of War in 1716, in which he says the number of able-bodied men Avas from nine hun- dred to a thousand souls, which would indicate, unless Indians are included, an under estimate by Colonel Vetch. But as to the actual population of the Province in 1755 — the year of Acadian removal— the statement of Gov- ern9r Lawrence in a circular sent to the various governors of the continent seems conclusi • : 'As their number amounts," he says, " to near seven uousand persons, the driving them off with leave to go whither they pleased would have doubtless sti"engthened Canada with so consid- erable a number of inhabitants ; and as they have no cleared land to give them at present, such as are able to bear arms must have been immediately emj)loyed in annoying this and the neighboring colonies." Raynal is equally in error as to the sixty thousand cattle with which the " immense meadows" are said to have been covered. Colonel Vetch, in the letter to which allusion has already been made, says, in reply to a question as to the number of cattle the Acadians might take with them if they left the country : " I am informed that there may be about five thousand black cattle, besides a great number of sheep and hogs, in that country, the greater part of which they THE HOUSES OP THE ACADIANS. 121 will take with them, if permitted." The actual number of cattle at the time of their removal, is statod^byMr. Murdoch as seven thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, includ- ing oxen, cows, and young cattle, which shows how little dcpondonce can be put on the statements of the Abbe Ray. nal!* "The habitations," says this historian, "wei-e extremely convenient, and furnished as neatly as a substantial farmer's house in Europe." " Strongly built were the houses witli frames of oak and of chesnut, Such as the peasants of Norj.;aii(ly built in tlie days of the Henries, Thatched were the roofs, with dormer windows ; and gables pro- jecting Over the basement below protected and shaded the doorway." t We shall call two Frenchmen, who were partial to their own countrymen, as witnesses on this point. Messrs. Beauharnois and Hocquart addressed an elaborate commu- nication to the Count de Maurepas, dated Quebec, twelfth September, 1745, in wl*ich, after assuring the Count that, from intelligence they have received from officers in charge of a detachment of French troops in Acadia, as well as from missionaries, they are satisfied the people will not hesitate to take up arms as soon as they receive the munitions of war, and the French have become masters of Port Royal ; they add, " the Acadians have not extended their planta- tions since they have come \inder English dominion, their houses are wretched -oooden boxes, wUhout convenience and without ornament, and scarcely f^ontaining the necessary furni- ture." Raynal also alludes to the small quantity of specie that had stolen into the country. Here his own country- men again prove him in error ; they write, " the Acadians are extremely covetous of specie. Since the settlement of Isle Royale they have drawn from Louisbourg almost all the iji -t . 'y , • Murdoch's History, vol. 2, p. 293. t Evangeline. 122 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. '){ specie the King annually sent out; it never makes its appearance again — they are particularly careful to conceal it. What object can they have except to secure for them- selves a resource for an evil day !"* The Acadians are also represented by Eaynal as living in a state of delightful harmony, of which there is no other instance in the history of the human race, except that which embraces the epoch previous to the fall of man. In this happy country, even a lawyer could find no business, which could hardly be said of any other country under the sun, " for whatever little difficulties arose were amicably adjusted by their elders." " Thus dwelt in love these simple Acadian fanners." f It is a pity to spoil this pretty picture, but a regard to truth compels us to direct attention to what Governor Armstrong say,?, in a letter dated Annapolis Royal, the sixteenth of Xovembcr, 1731, addressed to the Lords of Trade. Eoferring to a previous communication, he says : " I hope your lord- ships will favor me with such directions as the facts therein related require ; for, otherwise, it will be a difficult matter to bring those people to any reasonable terms of obedience to His Majesty's Government, or even to any manner of good order and decency among themselves, /or though they are a litigious sort of people, and so ill-natured to one another, as daily to encroach on their neighbours' properties, which occasions continual complaints, and which were partly the cause of some of the paragraphs of my former letter ; yet, they all agree in opposing evci'y order of Government, though never so conducive to their own interest."! Nor do the Acadians seeni lo have improved during the long inter- val between 173 i and 1753, for, in the latter year — that is, * Dr. Caliaghan's New York Documents. t Evangeline. X Nova Scotia Archives, p. 94. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES TRADUCED. 123 two years before their removal — Governor Lawrence^ addressing the Lords of Trade, in a despatch dated fifth of December, says : " I come now to the French inhabitants, who are tolerably quiet, as to Government matters, but exceedingly litigious among themselves. As this spirit of litigation shows the value they set u})on their jiossessions, it is so far a favorable circumstance."* If called upon to produce facts to justify the expulsion of the Acadians from the Province, they could be furnibhed from the work of Eaynal liimself. What sort of character does he give the missionaries of the Acadians? " The mis- c-ionaries easily insinuated themselves among them — the Indians — and had so far inculcated their tenets as to make enthusiasts of them. At the same time that they taught them their religion, they inspired them Avith that hati'cd which they themselves entertained for the English name. This fundamental article of their now worship, being that which made the strongest impression on their senses, and the only one that favored their passion for war, they adopted with all the rage that was natural to them. They not only refused to make any exchange with the English, but also frequently disturbed and ravaged the frontiers of that nation. Their attacks became mox'o frequent, more obsti- nate, and more regular after they liad chosen St. Casteins, formei'ly captain of the regiment of Carignan, for their com- mander, who was settled among them, had married ono of their Avomen, and conformed in every resjiect to their mode of life. When the English saw that all efiorts, either to re- concile the savages or to destroy them in their foi'ests, were ineffectual, they foil upon the Acadians, whom they looked upon, loith reason, as the only cause of all their calamities." If such was the character of the priests who were perm 'Hod to ex- ercise their sacred functions in the Province through British * Nova Scotia Archives, p. 20G. 124 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. toloranco, and such tho effect of their teaching on the sav- ages, what must have been the fruit of their labors amongst the Acadians themselves ? Eaynal himself favors us with an answer to the question when he says, " their priests, either heated by their own enthusiasm, or secretly instigated by the Governors of Canada, made them believe all thoy chose to say against the English, whom they called heretics."* But while the description given by this famous historian of tho priesthood was applicable to De la Loutre, it was not so to the Eoman Catholic missionaries as a body, whom he has thus shamefully traduced. The evidence adduced seems to prove the Abbe Raynal "totally unreliable as an authority in regard to the Acadians, and that the poem Evangeline, though a splendid creation of genius, rests, so far as based on Raynal's description of their character, on fiction, not on fact. Let us not be understood as endeavoring to depreciate the character of the Acadians. What has been adduced simply* proves that they were human. They were a sober, indus- trious people — inheriting a fair share of the frailties of human nature — but placed in circumstances which rendered their position one of great difficulty. Naturally attached to France and its institutions, and inspired by loyalty to the French throne, they always refused to swear unconditional allegiance to the British Crown. It is true that Governor Phillips induced the people to take an unconditional oath, so far as the written terms were concerned ; but there seems to have been, even on that occasion, a verbal qualification as to bearing arms against the French King. Governor Com- wallis, who must have been well informed on the subject, in addressing the Acadians, says : " You have always refused, gentlemen, to take tho oath without a loservation." And Governor Lawrence, in addressing the Lords of Trade, on 1 1 • Raynal's History, vol, 5, pp. 346 and 352. MEMORIAL OF THE ACADIANS, 126 the eighteenth July, 1755, says : " As the French inhabi- tants of the Province have never yet, at any time, talcon the oath of allegiance to His Majesty unqualified, I thought it my duty to avail myself of the piesent occasion to propose It."* We shall now proceed with our narrative as to the removal of the Fi'ench neutrals, reserving remarks on the mode of ite execution till tht) close of the chapter. At the Governor's house a council was held on the third of July, 1755, at which the Governor presided, and at which the following councillors were present : Benjamin Green, John Collins, William Cotterell, and J. Belcher. The Gov- ernor laid before the council an insolent memorial, signed by a number of the French inhabitants of Minas and Pizoquid, delivered to Captain Murray, the commanding officer, and by him forwarded to His Excellency. One passage from the memorial is sufficient to indicate its tone. Referring to the circumstance of their being ordered to deliver their arms, they said, "it is not the gun which an inhabitant possessrs that will induce him to revolt, nor the privation of the same gun that will make him more faithful, but his conscience alone must induce him to maintain his oath." The memor- ialists had been summoned before the council, and some of them were now in waiting, and being introduced, the memor- ial was discussed before them, paragraph by paragraph, and the absurdity of every portion of it pointed out. They were challenged to produce any instance where a privilege was denied them, or where any hardships were imposed on them by the Government, but they could not, and acknowledged, in reply, the justice and lenity of their rules. They were then asked to take the oath in the ordinary form, which they re- fused to do, when they were informed they would be allowed M ■I • Nova Scotia Archives, p, 269. See also a valuable note by T. B. Akins^ Esq., Archives, p. 263* I 126 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. till next day at ten o'clock to come to a final decision. On reappearing they still refused the oath, and were consequently ordered into confinement. The Lieutenant-Govenior having been instructed by Gov- ernment to consult the commander-in-chief of the ^3et oa any emergency that might concern the security of the Pro- vince, he accordingly invited Vice-Admiral Boscawen and Eear-Admiral Mostyn to be present at a meeting of council to be held on the fifteenth July. The Admirals accordingly attended. On the late proceedings of the council being laid before them, they approved of what had been done, and ex- pressed the opinion that the time had come when the inhabi- tants must take the oath or leave the country. On the eighteenth July, the Governor wrote to the Lords of Trade, reporting proceedings, and expressing his determination " to bring the inhabitants to a compliance or rid the I'rovince of such perfidious subjects." The Acadians having been requested to send other depu- ties in order to convey their final decision as to the taking of the oath, they arrived in Halifax, and appeared at a meeting of Council held on the twenty-fifth July, when they declared the people were unanimous in coming to the resolution of declining to take any oath which did not provide for ex- emption from bearing arms. The deputies were requested seriously to consider the consequences of a refusal, and to determine finally by the twenty-eighth of the month, when another meeting of the Council was to be held. In the mean- time, deputies from other parts of the Province had aiTived, conveying to the Council a similar resolution on the part of their constituents. They all appeared at the meeting held on the twenty-eighth, and, refusing to take the oath, were ordered into confinement. At this meeting of Council it was resolved to send the refractory inhabitants to the several colonies on the continent, and to provide, with all possible expedition, a sufficient number of vessels for that purpose. RESOLUTION TO EXPEL THE AOADIANS. 127 it •al The Lioutenant-Govornor wrote to Colonel Monckton, com- manding at Boausejour, intimating the resolution of the Council, and desiring him to hold himself in i-eadiness for its execution in that part of the Province. Instructions were also issued to Colonel Winslow, commanding the troops at Minaa. "Winslow, whose letter book and journal, while engaged in the removal of th ~ 'V cadians, are in the possession of the Massachuoctts Hist Society at Boston, was a son of Isaac Winslow of Mai-shfieid, in Massachusetts, and great grandson of Edward Winslow, one of the first Plymouth settlers. lie was a captain of Provincials in the unfortunate expedition to Cuba, in 1140, and afterwaixls an officer in the British army, and a Major-General of Militia. So great was his popularity that he raised, for the expedition under Monckton, two thousand men in the space of two months. He died at Marshfield in 1174, aged seventy-three years. Instructions similar to those foi-wardcd to Winslow were sent to Major John Handtield — some of whose descendants are still in the Province — commanding at Annapolis. Trans- ports had been ordered from Boston, which arrived at the various ports assigned them. The commanders were in- structed, if they found fair means to fail in inducing the inhabitants to leave, to adopt the most vigorous measures possible, not only in compelling them to embark, but in de- priving those who should escape, of all means of shelter or support, by burning their houses, and destroying everything that might afford them the means of subsistence in the country. His Excellency prepared a circular, addressed to the various Governors on the Continent, including those of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Philadelphia, New York and Connecticut, wherein he stated the reasons for the removal of the people, expressing the hope that they would dispose of them in such a manner as wo aid best answer the design of preventing their re-union.* k- •Appendix G, Nova Scotia Archives, p. 277. 128 niBTOBT OP IfOVA SCOTIA. 1: J -T"^' '".■ ■ it 'L Tho Acadinns wore busy comploting their harvest when tlie time of their departure had arrived. Winwlow, on the second of September, issued a written order, commanding tho irdiabitants of Grand Pr6, Minas and other ])hices adjoin- ing to attend at the Church at Grand Pro, for tho purpose of hearing His Majesty's instructions respecting them. A large number consequently attended, having no idea that immediate stops for their removal were contemplated, when Winslowthus addressed them: "Gentlemen, I have received from His Excellency Governor Lawrence, the King's com- mission, which I hold in my hand ; and by his orders you are convened together, to manifest to you Ilis Majesty's final resolution to the French inhabitants of this his Pro- vince of Nova Scotia, who, for almost half a century, have had more indulgence granted to them than any of His Majesty's subjects, in any part of his dominions ; what use you have made of it, you yourselves best know. The path of duty I am now upon, though necessary, is very disagreeable to my natural make and temjjer, as I know it must bo grievous to you, who are of the same species ; but it is not my business to animadvert, but to obey such orders as I receive, and, therefore, without hesitation, deliver to you His Majesty's orders and instructions, namely, that your lands and tene- ments, cattlo of all kinds and live stock of all sorts are for- feited to tho Crown, with all your other effects, saving your money and household goods, and you yourselves to be re- moved from this his Province. Thus, it is peremptorily His Majesty's orders that the whole Fi-ench inhabitants of these districts be removed; and I am, through His Majesty's goodness, directed to allow you liberty to carry off your money and household goods, as many as you can, without discommoding the vessels you go in. I shall do everything in my power that all these goods be secured to you, and that you are not molested in carrying them off; also, that whole families shall go in the same vessels, and make this WINSLOWS ADDRESS TO THE AOADIANS. 129 ut it is romovo, which I am sonsiblo must give you a groat deal of trouble, as easy as His Majesty's sorvico will admit; and hope that in whatsoovor part of the world you ra^y fall, you may bo faitbi'ul subjects— a poacoiiblo and happy people. I must also inform you that it is Ilis Majesty's pleasure that you remain in security under the inspection and directions of the troops that I have the honor to command." Those words fell like a thunderbolt on the assembly. The calamity was so sudden and unexpected that the people could not for some time realise their true position when they were de- clared prisoners. Tho number collected for removal at Grand Pre was 1,923 souls. A number escaped to the woods, from which they beheld tho smoke of their burning h'^bitations; for the command to destroy all moans of shelter and subsistence Avas rapidly executed. In tho dis- trict of Minas alone, says ITaliburton, there were 255 houses, 276 barns, 155 out-houses, 11 mills and 1 church destroyed. The people were so paralysed at such wholesale destruction, that they appeared quite resigned, according to a letter from Captain Murray, in reply to one sent to him by Colonel Winslow. Their resignation, however, was the resignation of despair; and whon, on tho tenth of September, they were driven on boarti the transports, nature found relief in loud lamentations at their fate. At Annapolis and Cumberland the people loft their dwell- ings and fled to tho woods. At tho latter place two hundred and fifty-three houses wei*e set on fire, and all the harvest produce at the same time destroyed. Here the military encountered partial opposition. While engaged in the work of destruction they were attacked by a body of French and Indians, when Dr. March and five or six privates were killed and a number wounded. In the meantime, one of the transports which sailed from Annapolis Royal was seized by the passengers, consisting of thirty-six families, numbering in all two hundred and 'id ;1 11,1 t! ^.--Ij 180 niSTORT OF NOVA SCOTIA. I, i I twonty-eix souls, and taken to the river St. John. Another, through stress of weather, was driven to the West Indies. At the various colonies at which the unfortunate Acadiana arri\ ed they were not by any moans made welcome. A» winter had now set in, it was impossible to find employment for such as were able to work, and their maintenance, there- fore, became a serious burden to the Colonial Governments, who, consequently, wrote Governor Lawrence, demanding money for their support, wnich the Governor was in no haste to supply, his object being simply to got quit of bad subjects, and not concerning himself as to how they fared in the lands to which they had been transported, provided their return to the Province was prevented. According to a despatch addressed to Governor Lawi'cnce by the Lords of Trade, in July, lt56, it seems that several hundreds of tho Acadians had been sent to England from Virginia and South Carolina. Lieutenant-Governor Phips writes, in July of the same year, to Lawrence that seven boats containing about ninety of the Fi*ench inhabitants of Nov« Scotia, had coasted along shore from Georgia, and had arrived at a harbor in the southern part of Massachusetts, where tho unfortunate wanderers were received, three or four of them having been sent to Boston to be examined. On receiving this intelligence, Lawrence immediately addressed a circular to the Governors on the Continent, entreating them to prevent the return of the people, by destroying any vessels they may have prepared " for so pernicious an undertaking as their return to Nova Scotia." The Lords of Trade, in writing to Lawrence, in March, 1T5 T, and expressing approval of the means used to prevent the return of the banisL"d people, state that if they had not been prudently stopped, " there was no attempt, however desperate and cruel, which might not be expected from persons exasperated as they must have been by the treatment they had met with." Indeed, tho Lords of Trade seem to have received Governor Lawrence's CONDUCT OF THE BRITISH GOVERNJrENT. 181 account of the removal of the French somewhat coldly, giving only a negative sort of assent to the expediency of tlio proceedings. But the question occurs — Assuming that the removal of the Acadians was for reasons of state absolutely neces- sary — was the British Govoi'nmont justified in transporting the entire population — men, women and children — to the other colonies where thoir language was unknown, and their religion waa regarded as heresy, without even pro- vision having boon made for thoir maintenance? That question must surely bo answered in the negative. It is granted that to have permitted thom to remove to Cape Breton and th'is augment the power of the enemy, would have been worse than foolish, but the diflSculty could have been solved by sending them to France. That was the course which would most naturally occur, and that o^ which Governor Lawi uce first thought, as clearly a^^pears by a pas- sage in a d(>spatch addressed by him to the Lords of Trade on the eighteenth July, 1755, where, in referring to an inter- view with the Acadians, he says — " The next morning they appeared and re: 'used to take the oath without the old reserve of not being obliged to boar arms, upon which they were acquainted that, as they refused to become English subjects, we conld no longer look upon thom in that light ; that wo should send thom to France uy the first opportu- nity ; and till then they wore ordered to be kept prisoners at George's island, where they wore immediately conducted." The Acadians were repeatedly informed that they would be sent away from the Province, and forfeit all their property unless they consented to become British subjects, but th-iy were not told that the penalty of refusal was to be packed onboard ship, and transported to countrivS alien in lau- guage and religion — that members of families were to be cruelly separate'! from each other ; that venerable old men and women, a ud fair Acadian maidens were to be reduced HISrORT OP NOVA SCOTIA. to a state of be^ -gary in strange lands. The t/an^portation of the people in the manner executed was a blunder, and it is far more manly to acknowledge it as such than vainly to "ttompt to palliate or to excuse conduct at which, when coolly viewed i i relation to its consequences, the moral instincts of mai kind shudder. It would be unjust to the memory of the Ii'onorable Charles Lawrence to say that ho himself was at first cognizant of the consequences involved in his policy, but an impai'tial historian, on a review of hia public life, can scurcely fail to remark that when the pano- rama of Ac Man suffenng was fully unfolded to his view he beheld it with a countenance as unmoved as that of Napoleon, when o i the day after a bloody battle ho delib- erately rode over the field — as was his wont— beholding without any visible emotion the havoc of a\ ar. CHAPTEE VIII. Chief Justice Jonathan Belcher — His hfe — Legislative power of Governor and Council doubted — Governor Lawrence objects to the calling of an Assembly — The people petition the Crown — Lawrence's despatch to the Lords of Trade — Their reply — The first House of Assembly — The Governor's opening speech — The business of the House — Jonathan Binney — William Nesbitt— "War declared against France — Arrival of Admiral Holborne at Halifax — Dispersion of his fleet — Arrival of the fleet under Admiral Boscawen — Landing of the troops at Gabarus Bay— In- vestment of Louisbourg — Capitulation of the fortress — Gallant conduct of General Wolfe — His expedition to Quebec — The siege — Battle on the Plains of Abraham — Death of Wolfe — Death of Governor Lawrence — His character — Destruction of Louisbourg — Domestic policy of Lawrence — His efforts to induce immigra- tion — Division of the land — Arrival of immigrants — Jonathan Belcher succeeds to the Governorship — His despatch to the Lords of Trade — Establishment of townships at Horton, Cornwallis and Falmouth — Rebuilding of the dykes — Road-making — Social condition of the people — Settlements in Aimapolis, Granville, Chester and Dublin — Dissolution of the House of Assembly — Treaty with the Indians — Capitulation of St. Johns, Newfound- land, to four French men-of-war — Alarm at Halifax — Measures of defence — Transportation of Acadians to Massachusetts, and their return — Lord Colville takes possession of St. Johns — De- claration of peace — North America ceded to Groat Britain. About tho beirinning of the year 1755 the attention of the Lords of Trade was directed by Chief Justice Jonathan Belcher to the important constitutional question, whether tho Governor and Council of Nova Scotia had the power to pass laws without an Assembly. Belcher was the second Bon of Governor Belcher of Massachusetts. He graduated at Harvard College, and was educated for +'io legal prr/ies- Bxon. Ho completed his studies in England, where ho :'.% I I III j >i pi : ^: 134 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. became a member of the Society of the Middle Temple. The appointment of Chief Justice of Nova Scotia was con- ferred upon him in 1754. He was a firm friend of the people, but though an opponent of the policy of Governor Lawrence, which was extremely conservative, yet they do not seem to have had an open rupture. Belcher wisely restricted his public acts to his own special province, and thus proved more than a match for his able opponent. The question as to the right of the Governor and Council to enact laws without the co-operation of a Legislative Assembly was submitted by the Home Government to Her Majesty's Attor- ney General and Solicitor General for their opinion, when they decided that the Governor and Council alone were not authorized to make laws. As some statutes had been passed, it followed that they were not valid. The Government, in informing Lawrence of the opinion, cautioned him not to give it publicity till an assembly had been called and an act of indemnification obtained. In the meantime the Governor represented to the Government that the obstacles to the call- ing of an assembly were insuperable, manifesting in all his despatches on the subject the utmost reluctance to transfer any of the duties and responsibilities of government to a legis- lative body. In reply to the objections of the Governor the Lords of Trade saic^ that whilst they were fully sensible .of the numberless difficulties which would arise from carrying the plan of an Assembly into execution in the present state of the Province, yet they were of opinion that the want of proper authority in the Government and Council to enact such laws as were absolutely necessary in the administration of civil government was an inconvenience still greater than all these, and might lead to very serious consequences in the event of the legal functions of the Governor and Council being called in question, and that though His Majesty's sub- jects had hitherto acquiesced in the ordinances passed, yet their Lordships could by no means think that such or any GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROPOSED. 136 other reason cotild justify the exercise of an illegal author- ity. These arguments, which to any ordinary person would seem irresistible, were not so in the estimation , of Governor Lawrence, who, amongst other arguments against an As- sembly, referred to the case of Virginia where, he alleged, laws were enacted in the same manner, and continued in force till an Assembly could be easily convened for their confirmation, in answer to which their Lordships remarked that whilst it was quite true that the Council of Virginia passed laws in the infancy of the colony, yet they derived the power of doing so from their commission, which was also the case with many of the other colonies at their first settlement, though it was a power of very short duration ; and in later times when the constitution of Britain had been restored to its true principles it was deemed advisable to grant no such uutliority in future. The extremely con- servative Governor was afraid of the merchants of Halifax wielding a preponderating iufluence in the proposed Assem- bly. The Chief Justice had suggested that an Assembly should be convened by electing twelve members for the Pro- vince in the forra of a county election. Lawrence argued that as the Assembly was to be convened in Halifax, which most likely would not be the residence of the landed people, but of the merchants, the former, whoso well being was, as he thought, mvtch more connected with the security of the Province, would be mostly excluded, and the Assembly chiefly composed of the latter, who wore not so nearly con- cerned in its welfare, and who might sometimes have views and interest?, incompatible with the measures necessary to be taken in a Province so contiguous both by land and water to the whole force of the French in North America. The peoj)le were, however, determined to press the Crown for an Assembly, and accordingly transmitted a petition setting foi'th the evils arising from the absence of a repre- sentative body. This movement seems to have been unknown "ill fi'l: I. ;^i i ' (I f \:\ f ; 136 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. to Governor Lawrence, or if known to him he deemed it expedient to aflfeet ignorance of it. Ilia attention to the petition having been called by the Lords of Trade, he wrote to them in a bitter and even sarcastic tone, stating that he could not conjecture what reasons could bo given to their Lordships by the petitioners to induce them to think that the people labored under inconvenience for want of an As- sembly — boldly insinuating that the petition was put up by malevolent and ill-designing men, who took occasion to mis- represent the state of affairs to the prejudice of the colony. The orders for the calling of an Assembly were, however, pej-emptory, and Lawrence had to give way to some extent. At a meeting of the Council held on the third December, 1756, Jonathan Belcher took the oaths as a member of the Council, and his seat at the Board. His Excellency then submitted to the Council proposals which Mr. Belcher, as Chief Justice, had laid before him last year for the calling of a House of Representatives, and which had been transmitted to the Lords of Trade for their consideration ; also extracts of despatches he had received from their Lordships, wherein they had directed measures to be adopted for calling such a House. It was accordingly agreed at a subsequent meeting, held on the third January, 175*7, that the House should con- sist of twenty-two members, twelve for the Province at large, till the same should be divided into counties, four for the township of Halifax, two for that of Lunenburg, and one each for the townships of Dartmouth, Lawrencetown, An- napolis Eoyal and Cumberland — sixteen members to bo a quorum besides the Speaker, and the possession of a freehold estate being an indispensible qualification for voting. Though every necessary preparation was thus made for the calling of a House of Eepresen^atives, Lawrence still threw obstacles in the way, and made one more attempt to postpone it indefinitely. On the ninth of November, 1757, he addressed a communication to the I A GENERAL ASSEMBLY ORDERED TO BE CONVENED. 137 Lords of Trade, in which ho p^most beseochod them not to insist on the calling of an Assembly at present. He assm-ed tlieir Lordships that no person whatever, with whom he had conversed and on whoso judgment and advice ho could rely, had of late considered tho measure of calling an Assembly, in the circumstances of the country, otherwise than as chi- merical — that the most substantial of the inhabitants were opposed to it by a memorial sent to their Lordships, whom, he assures, that the persons favorable to an Assembly are pressing for it to influence the minds of tho people whom they are attempting to deceive, in order to deprive him of their confidence and regard, and, in short, to embarrass the Government, being actuated by motives of private advan- tage, and of resentment for disappointments in places and employments, with which it was not in his power to gratify them. For the reasons thus specified he hopes their Lord- ships will not be displeased that their instructions have not been carried out. Their Lordships replied that, having fully considered the Governor's letter in regard to the calling of an Assembly, and also the place for that purpose, and having BO often and so fully repeated to him thoir sense and opinion of the propriety and necessity of the measure, it now only remained for them to direct its being carried into immediate execution, that His Majesty's subjects — great part of whom were alleged to have quitted the Province, on account of the great discontent prevailing for want of an Assembly — might no longer be deprived of that privilege, which had been pro- mised by His Majesty when the settlement of the colony was first undertaken, and was one of the conditions on which they accepted the proposals then made. Their Lordships added, that they were sensible the execution of the measure, in the present situation of the Province, would be attended, with many difficulties, and possibly might, in its conse- quences, in some respects interfere with His Majesty's ser- vice, but without regard to that consideration, or what might tv t ! 9! I 188 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. fl ■ I J be the opinion of individuals, they thought it of indispen- sible necessity that it should be immediately carried into execution. Those peremptory instructions Lawrence could not evade. Accordingly, at a meeting of Council, held on the twentieth of May, 1758, the scheme previously adopted was modified — a resolution to the following effect having been adopted : — That a House of Eepresentatives of the inhabitants of this Province be the Civil Legislature thereof, in conjunction with the Governor for the time being and the Council — the first house to bo elected and convened in the following manner, and to be designated the General Assem- bly — that there shall be elected for the Province at large, till the same shall be divided into counties, sixteen members ; for the township of Halifax, four ; and for the township of Lunenburg, two ; that when fifty qualified electors shall be settled at Pizequid, Minas, Cobequid, or any other township which may hereafter be erected, each of the said townships so erected shall be, for their encouragement, entitled to send two representatives to the Assembly, and shall likewise have a right of voting in the election of representatives for the Province at large — that the house shall always consist of at least eleven members, besides the Speaker, before they enter on any business — the remaining clauses to be the same as those contained in the minutes of Council of the third of January, ITST. The Assembly met on the seventh of October, 1758, and, after electing Robert Sanderson, Speaker, passed a number of laws, with less alteration, as the Governor assures the Lords of Trade, than ho had anticipated, which must have been satisfactory to thoir Lordships, as, in addressing them previous to the meeting of the House, he assures them that some of the men elected are not such as have been most remarkable for promoting unity or obedience to His Majes- ty's Government in the Province. Notwithstanding this opinion of the character of some of the members, the Gov- JONATHAN BINNET. 139 emor, in his opening speech, assured the House that he met them with particular pleasure, entertaining the most san- guine hopes that they were come together unanimously disposed to promote the service of the Crown, or, in other words, the real welfare and prosperity of the people, and assuring them that he was ready to concur in such laws as might appear, on mature consideration, consistent with the honor and dignity of the Cro^vn, and conducive to the last- ing happiness of His Majesty's subjects. After the house had elected officers the question was put whether any money should be voted to the members for their services during the present session, when it was unanimously resolved that the members should serve with- out any remuneration. Next day the address which had been prepared in answer to His Excellency's speech, was read to him by the Speaker, in which the Assembly, after expressing their attach- ment to the Crown, and their gratitude for the Eoyal bounty to the colony, and particularly for calling them together, stated their determination to promote the welfare and peaceable government of His Majesty in the Province. Among the members of the first Assembly appears the name of Jonathan Binney, who was a native of Hull, near Boston. He was elected a member of the House of Assem- bly for the town of Halifax in July, 1761, and was appoint- ed to the Council by Governor Wilmot, in November, 1764. In the year 1768. he was made second judge at the island of St. John — now Prince Edward Island — and was afterwards sent to Canso as collector of duties, and superintendent of that place, and the same year was appointed collector of Impost and Excise at the island of St. John. Ho went to Eng- land in 1776 to answer charges made against him by Governor Legg, regarding his conduct as collector, which ho after- wards completely refuted. Mr. Binney married Hannah, daughter of the Hon. Henry Newton, and was father of the ]■.■■!■ , I iiri^i' : ! ;'i!! \1>V 33! iM (■! ::'^:: i uo HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. lato Hon. Hubert N. Binney, and Stephen Blnnoj, Esq., of Halifax.* The name of William Nosbitt also appears amongst the members. Ho was made Speaker next session. He accom- panied Governor Cornwallis to the Province in 1749, as on© of the Government clerks, and appears to have performed, in conjunction with Archibald Hinchehvood, the duties of the Secretary's office for several years. Ho afterwards prao- tised as an attorney and solicitor at Halifax, where many of the conveyances of land appear in his handwriting. He succeeded Mr. Little as Attorney-General of the colony, which office he held for nearly twenty -five years. Ho occu- pied the chair of the House of Assembly, with the intermis- sion of the session of 1*7*74, till 1*783, when he retired on a pension of one hundred pounds per annum. Ho died in the following year. During the period of his Speakership the House sat fourteen years without a dissolution, and was thua the long Parliament of Nova Scotia. Mr. Nosbitt's house was in Grafton street, Halifax. He is siijiposed to have left no male heirs in this country. His daughter, Mz's. Swan, died in the old house in Grafton street about thirty-eight jeavB ago. The portraits of Speaker Nosbitt and his lady are in the library of King's College, Windsor. War against France had been declared in London on the eighteenth of May, 1*756. One of the principal reasons of the declaration being the encroachments of the French in the Province of Nova Scotia. In the speech delivered by the King from the Throne in December following, ho de- clared that the success and preservation of America consti- tuted a main object of his attention and solicitude, and observed that the growing dangers to which the British colonies might stand exposed from late losses in that coun- •Archivea, p. 729. ADMIRAL BOSCAWEN AND HIS FLEET. 141 try demanded resolutions of vigor and dispatch. In April, 1751, Admiral llolborne left for America with eleven ships of the line, and fifty transports, on board of which there were six thousand soldiers, commanded by General Hopson.* On arriving at Halifax, llolborne ascertained that the strength of the enemy, both in ships and soldiers, who wore prepared to defend Louisbourg, which he had intended to attack, wa ? much superior to his own. lie, therefore, con- tented himself with cruising off the coast of Cape Breton till the month of September, when a violent storm arose, which dispersed his fleet — some of his ships arriving safe at Portsmouth, and othei's, much damaged, getting to New York. But it was determined to make further efforts for the reduction of Louisbourg. Admiral Boscawen was accord- ingly despatched with a powerful fleet to Halifax, where he arrived in May, 1758. Major-General Amherst had com- mand of the. land forces, and the whole armament, consist- ing of one hundred and forty sail, took their departure fi*om the harbor of Halifax on the twenty-eighth of May, and on the second of June part of the transports arrived at Gabarus Bay, near Louisbourg, which was defended by a strong gar- rison. The harbor was protected by six ships of the line, and five frigates — three of which had been sunk in order to prevent the entrance of the English fleet. On the eighth of June preparations were made for eff'ecting a landing, the troops being assembled in boats in three divisions. Several sloops and frigates lay along the beach which they scoured with shot briskly for a quarter of an hour, when the division ■ on the left, under Brigadier-General Wolfe, rowed towards the shore amidst a storm of cannon and musketry. But Wolfe continued his course straight to the intended place of debarkation, and with his men, leaping into the surf, advanc- ed bravely, and despite the desperate efforts of the enemy, • Archives, p. 558- s 142 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. i i! ! : i j| 'I obtained n firm footing on shoro, nnd attacking thorn with the utmost fuiy, drove tlicm towards the ramparts. The other divisions now followed Wolfe's example, and succeeded in eft'octing a landing also. The. stores and artillery soon followed, and the great fortress was regularly invested. * In the meantime M. Drucour, the Governor of Louisbourg, having destroyed the battery, which was place! at a con- siderable distance from the walls, concentrated his forces and prepared for a vigorous defence. Wolfe having march- ed round towaixls the north-east portion of the harbor, and taken possession of the light-house point, erected batteries, •which silenced the island fortifications. On the twenty-first •day of July, the three great French shij^s Entreprenant, ■Capricieux and Calibre were set on fire by bomb-shells, and totally destroyed. It was resolved to attempt the destruc- tion of the two remaining ships. In order to effect this, two young captains, Lafaroy and Balfour, with the boats of the squadron, advanced at night, and board- ed them, sword in hand, setting one of them on fire and towing the other out of the harbor in triumph. The besieged were so L vrd pressed after this event — every • The garrison of Louisbourg when the English landed consisted of: Men. Twenty-four companies of infantry and two companies of artil- lery— in all 1,200 The second Battalion of the Regiment of Volontaires Etrangers, 600 Artois " . 500 Burgoyne " . 450 Chambise " .650 « « 4t « • ( Total 3,400 There were also in the town seven hundred burgher militia and a number of Indians, and in the harbor the following ships of war : — Le Prudent 74 guns L'Entrepenant 74 " Le Capricieux 64 " Le Celebre 64 " Le Bienfaisant 64 " L'ApoUon 50 " La Chevre 16 guns La Biche 16 Le Fiddle 'M L'Echo 32 La Diane 36 L'Arethuse 36 GENERAL WOLFE. 143 obstacle to a genornl attack being now removed — that the Governor sent a letter to the English admiral, desiring a capitulation on favorable terms, to which the latter replied that the garrison must surrender themselves prisoners of war. The Chevalier Drucour, offended at the hard terms proposed, replied that rather than submit to them, he would sustain a general assault. The inhabitants and traders having earnestly petitioned for compliance, the Governor reluctantly gave way, and, on the twenty-sixth of July, the English were once more in possession of the great strong- hold. The joyful intelligence was speedily conveyed to England, where it was received with every mark of satis- faction. Addresses of congratulation to the King i-)Oured in from all quarters. Captain Amherst, brother to the com- mander, who had conveyed particulars of Ihe siege to Eng- land, had with him eleven pair of colors taken at Louisbourg, which, by command of the King, were carried in triumph from the Palace of Kensington to St. Paul's Cathedral. After the reduction of Louisbourg, several war-ships were detached to seize on the island of St, John, which was effected without difficulty. The inhabitants were said to have numbered about four thousand — the stock of cattle being about ten thousand head. There was a brisk trade carried on between this island and Quebec, in grain and live stock. General Wolfe had displayed talents in the conduct of the siege of Louisbourg which attracted the attention of Europe, and he was therefore selected, as the most competent general, to head an attack on Quebec. A powerful fleet, under Admiral Saunders, ascended the St. Lawrence, and reached the Island of Orleans on the twenty-fifth day of June, 1759, Here the land force disembarked — the fleet anchoring under cover of the island — Cook, the celebrated navigator, having been employed on the occasion in taking soundings. The French had prepared fire-ships, and sent seven of them, flaming, towai-ds the fleet. Their advance w 144 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. III: liaving been at onco noticed, no time was lost in sending boats to intercept them. They wore thus easily secured, and prevented from doinpj damage. Tfolfo, in the mean- time, brought his batteries to beir.on the town with terrible effect. On the night of the eighth of August the lower town was entirely consumed by fire. Masked as the attack- ing batteries were by brushwood, the cannon on the ram- pai'ts could do them no material damage. The inhabitants suffered severely. Garneau, in his "History of Canada," refers to the destruction of the town, and the ravaging of the surrounding country, as unwarrantable acts, which stain the memory of the heroic Wolfe, forgetting that Wolfe's object was to taJee Quebec, and that he was too good a gene- ral to employ his army in wanton acts of destruction, which did not directly tend to weaken the enemy, and facilitate the accomplishment of his ]>urposc. The defence of Mont- calm, the French general, was able, and the English eus- tained heavy losses in several engagements, which appeared to render success almost hopeless. At this critical period, Wolfe was attacked by a malady which brought him almost to the grave, but from which ho recovered. When conva- lescent, a council of war was held, at which the question, a» to the best mode of attack, was discussed, when, after due deliberation, it was resolved to secure a footing above the city, and thus entirely change the base of operations. After ""•ious movements, which were intended to deceive the .cmy as to his intentions, Wolfe landed his forces near the Plains of Abraham, to the astonishment of Montcalm, who, however, rashly resolved to attack the British, ere they could obtain a firm footing, without waiting for re-inforce- ments. Wolfe, knowing a retreat was impossible if he were defeated, passed along the ranks of his army, like Bruce on the eve of the battle of Bannockburn, endeavoring not without success, to animate his men to fight bravely. He ordered them to load their pieces with two balls, and DEATH OF WOLFE. 145 not to firo n shot till tho onomy woro within a fow pacos of thorn. His instructions woro carriotl out witli tho utmost coolness antl procision. Tho French ailvancoil rupitliy, firing irregularly and without much effect. The liritish remained rooted to tho earth till their opponents had ap- proached within a very short distance, when, taking deliber- ate aim, they gave so dciu'ly a volley that tho enemy were thrown into disorder. Wolfe ordered an immediate advance. Early in tho engagement ho was wounded in tho wrist, and whilst leading his men with tho utmost ardor, and confident of victory, ho was struck by a ball in tho breast, and carried to tho roar. " They floe," remarked some one. "W'l''^ said tho General. " Tho French," was the reply. " What ? already; then I die content I" responded tho hero, and expired, in tho thirty-second year of his age. General Montcalm also fell, having been wounded in three places. Tho battle on tho Plains of Abraham decided the fa to of Quebec, and, indeed, led to the cession of Canada to Great Britain. Intelligence of tho success of His Majesty's arms was received in Halifax with tho greatest satisfaction, which found vent in bonfires, illuminations, and public and private entertainmenta. Tho Settlement had been kept in a state of chronic alarm for fear of French invasion, and it was now universally felt that Louisbourg and Quebec being in tho hands of tho British there was no further immediate danger. Governor Lawrence died on tho nineteenth of October, 1760, after eight days illness, of inflammation of tho lungi^, caused by a cold taken at a ball held in Government house. The legislature voted a monument to his memory, to be erected in St. Paul's Church, Halifax, to mark their sense of tho many important services which tho Province had received fi-om him during a continued course of zealous and indefatigable endeavours for the public good, and as a wise, upright, and disinterested administrator. The expense of 146 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. iliiilSiuiii ■I m • 'I ii': ii: the funeral was defrayed from the Provincial funds. " Few men ever gave t^o much satisfaction to the Government by whom he was employed," says Mr. Haliburton, " and to the people over whom he presided." " He was a man inflexible in his purposes, and held control with no feeble hands," says Mr. Murdoch ; " earnest and resolute, he pursued the object of establishing and confirming British authority here with marked success." Lawrence had certainly many of the qualities necessary to constitute an able Governor, but his treatment of the Acadians was cold and unrelenting, if not positively' cruel. Eef'crring to theremovalof the Acadians, Mr. Haliburton says, " Upon an impartial review of the transactions of the period, it must be admitted that the transportation of the Acadians to distant colonies with all the marks of ignominy and guilt peculiar to convicts was cruel." "We are informed on good authority that the opinion of this eminent author was latterly modified in regard to the policy of the measure, and the means by which it was executed. lie has not, however, published the grounds on which such modification of opinion was based, but a pei-usal of all the facts and circumstances connected with the affair cannot fail in leading an unprejudiced reader to the conclu- sion that Governor Lawrence in the execution of a necessary duty might, Avithout any detriment to the public sei'vice, have had regard to the dictates of humanity, wliich on the occasion wei'o ruthlessly ignored. The year 1760 was also rendered notable in Provincial history by an order issued by the British Government for the demolition of the great fortress of Louisbourg. That great stronghold was so identified with Prencli dominancy in Acadia that so long as it remained in the hands of the British, the French would always entertain the hope of recovering it, which would jbrm a stimulus to contention. Competent engineers were therefore sent from Britain to i i THE SETTLEMENT OF THE PROVINCE. 147 demolish the works, which was sliilfully and speedily- effected. "We must now turn for a little to the domestic affairs of the Province. In no department of dutj' did Lawrence dis- play more ability and judgment than in the arrangements made for the settlement of the Province. It Avas the desire of the Home Government that the land should bo occupied by disbanded soldiers. Against this policy the Governor earnestly remonstrated, declaring that soldiers were the least qualified, from their profession, of any men living to establish a new colony. The Government appreciated the force of the objections offered, and the Governor was per- mitted to adoj^t measures to bring a more suitable class of settlers into the Province. A Proclamation having been issued inviting settlers, inquiries were made of the Provin- cial Agent at Boston as to the terms on which land was to be obtained. It was proposed that townships should consist of about one hundred thousand acres, or twelve square miles. One hundred acres were to be allowed each settler, and fifty acres to every meir.ber of his fomily. The settler came under an obligation to cultivate the land in thirty years. Agents from persons in Connecticut and Ehode Island Avho intended to remove to the Province came to Halifax in the year HSO. Having examined the land the gentlemen from Connecticut proposed to have a township at Minas, and others agreed to obtain settlers for townships at Chegnecto and Cobequid. Tie agents were instructed to inform intending settlers that as soon as a township consisted of fifty families it should havo the right to send two representatives to the General Assem- bly. Soon after this, immigration into the Province set in on a considerable scale — six vessels having arrived fi*om Boston with two hundred settlei-s, and four schooners from Ehode Island with a hundred. New London and Plj^mouth ■}>j'':H ■•0}b.',\ 148 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. m. P :<:,-!; i'il 'i; I' !' hi 1- i I f I I. . * f ' ■ 1 •:■ || furnished two hundred and eighty, and Ireland, under tho management of Alexander McNutt, three hundred. The Hon. Jonathan Belcher, who had succeeded Govornor Lawrence in tho government of the Province, sen« to the Lords of Trade, in December, 1160, an interesting report of tho condition of certain settlements, in which he said : — " I have tho satisfaction to acquaint your Lordships that the townships of Horton, Cornwallis, and Falmouth, are so well established that everything bears a hopeful appearance ; as soon as those townships were laid out by the surveyor, pal- lisaded forts were erected in each of them, by order of tho late Governor, with room to secure all the inhabitants who were formed into a militia, to join what troops could bo spared to oppose any attempts that might be formed against them by Indian tribes, which had not then surrendered, and bodies of French inhabitants who wore hovering about tho country. After the necessary business, tho proper season coming on, they were employed in gathering hay for winter. One thousand tons were provided for Horton, five hundred for Cornwallis, and six hundred for Falmouth, and about this time they put some corn and roots in the ground, and began to build their houses. In the month of August, the late Governor having returned from Liverpool, made a pi-ogress into these settlements, where, after having regulated several matters, the great object of his attention were the dykes, of which tho breach made in that of the river Canard, in the townshij) of Cornwallis, as it was the greatest, was his first care. For this purpose tho inhabitants, with their cattle and carriages, together with those hired from Horton, at their own expense, were joined with some of tho Provincial troops, and Acadians, who were best acquainted with works of this kind, to make a collection of tho necessary materials to repair tho breach. A considerable quantity was accord- ingly got ready, when tho inundation usual at this time of the year put a stop to the work for this season. However DESCRIPTION OF SETTLEMENTS. 149 tho rst ttlo at ial rks als rd- of ■'er the materials are all eecvired against the next undertaking, and care was immediately taken to protect as much of tho dykes in this and the neighboring townships as would enclose land sufficient to raise bread corn for them the next year, except in Falmouth, where the upland is in very good con- dition for that purpose." " The late Governor having observed how necessary it was that a good road should be made from Halifax into these settlements, immediately on his return ordered all the troops that could bo spared from duty to be employed on this work, beginning at Fort Lockville. It was, at this time, very difficult to be passed in many places, on account of swamps and broken bridges, but it has since been finished so as to become a good horse road, by which it will be an easy day's journey in the summer time thence into the set- tlements. The greatest part of the expense of this will be defrayed out of a sum of money appropriated from a seizure of molasses." " Many of the inhabitants are rich and in good circum- stances. About one hundred have transported themselves and their effects, at their own expense, and are very well able to provide for their own support. As to the poorer sort there is iwovision made for them, until the month of August. In the township of Liverpool, they are now cm- ployed in building three vessels for the fishery, and have laid in hay for the winter fodder for their cattle, and have raised a considerable quantity of roots, and erected a grist and saw mill. They have sixteen sail of fishing schooners, and although sevei-al of them came late in the season, they have caught near five hundred quintals of fish ; the prin- cipal owners of which have gone back to the continent to dispose of it, and will return in the spring fer a further supply of stock for their lands. From these circumstances, I flatter myself, your Lordship will entertain a favorable opinion of this settlement. In regard to the townships of ■■' -^ ,^>i. f ti. -. n HP !p ,1 Wf H, \',l I I'll 150 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Annapolis and Granville, about thirty proprietors are settled in each ; as the}' came late in the year they did not bring all their families, but are preparing against their arrival in the spring, at which time the rest of the proprietors are expected. Of the townships of Chester and Dublin as they did not contract early in the year, but a few proprietors are yet come to each of them. Ilowever, persons of consider- able substance are engaged in them, who are making pre- parations to come to their lands as early in the next year as the season will permit. In the engagements entered in- to for carrying on the settlements, no promises were made of transportation or care to any but the grantees of Horton, Cornwallis and Falmouth, and although the latter grantees have readily and cheei-fully engaged themselves, yet they pleaded much for such encouragements, and have found themselves partly obstructed for want of these advantages. As the perfect establishment of the settlements depends in a very great degree on the repairs of the dykes, for the se- curity of the marsh lands, from whence the support of the inhabitants will become easy and plentiful, necessary mea- sures for effecting this great point have been fully considered, and I humbly conceive that the dykes may be pui into very good condition, if, with your Lordship's approbation, one hundred of the French inhabitants may be employed in different parts of the Province to assist and instruct in these repairs, the new settlers having come from a country in which no such works are wanting. I must not omit to mention to your Lordship, that the settlement of Lunen- burg is in a very thriving condition, and that none arc in want there, except the sickly and infirm." On the death of Geoi-ge the Second, in October, 1760, the House of Assembly was dissolved, and the President and Council, in consequence of the great change in the popula- tion of the Province since the last election, resolved to alter the representation, providing for the counties of Halifax; THE FRENCH IN NEWFOUNDLAND 151 Limenbiirg, Annapolie and Kings two members each ; for the township of Halifax, four members, and for the town- ships of Lunenburg, Annapolis, Horton, Cornwallis, Fal- mouth and Liverpool two members each — making in all twenty-four members. The new Assembly met on the first of July, 1761, when Mr. Nesbitt was again chosen speaker, and the House resolved to give their services during this session also Avithout any charge to their constituents. Dur- ing the session a treaty was entered into with the Indians — the hatchet having been buried with great formality in presence of the representatives, magistrates and public officers. On the twenty-fourth of June, 17C2, four French men-of- war, and a bomb ketch, entered the Bay of Bulls, in New- foundland, and proceeded thence to St. John's, which was under the necessity of capitulating. The population of the toAvn at this time consisted of about eight hundred souls. Intelligence of this hostile demonstration soon reached Halifax and caused great alarm. Measures for defence were immediately adopted. A boom of timber and iron chains was run across the northwest arm. The Northumber- land, being the only ship of war at this time at Halifax, was 2)laced in midchannel, in order to oppose the enemy's passage, and signals were established to give notice of the enemy's approach. In order to prevent a rising of the Acadians, of whom a considerable number still remained in the Province, the militia of Kings County collected one hundred and thirty of them, and brought them to Halifax ; and the Council so far imitated the policy of Lawrence in reference to these unfortunate people, that they resolved to transport them to Massachusetts, which was accordingly done ; but on their arrival, the Assembly of that Province, before which the despatches from Nova Scotia were laid, would not allow them to land, as the previous unwelcome shipment of the same class had been a burden to the 4 '-m' H A 1 t*" ' V. m ii lil '■Hi )! ;■ i !■ li r,i; ii :| '!i J ■ I't I ■;!■ 152 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. Province. Tho transports, therefore, returned with their human freight to Halifax, where they arrived in October. In the meantime, Lord Colville had sailed with his squadron from Halifax to Newfoundland, and was speedily in possession of St. John's — the French ships having es- caped. Tho garrison numbering six hundred and eighty- nine soldiers, became prisoners of war. Fui-ther hostilities between Prance and England were prevented by a declara- tion of peace on the eighth of Novembei', 1762. According to the treaty which followed, France lost her grasp of North America — Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton and all the islands in the river and gulf of the St. Lawi'ence be- ing declared British territory. In 1763, Colonel Montague Wilmot was appointed Lieu- tenant-Governor, in place of Mr. Belcher, and in the fol- lowing year, the island of St. John, and Cape Breton, or Isle Eoyale were annexed to Nova Scotia. In the year 1766, Lord William Campbell was appointed Governor-in-Chief of Nova Scotia. Tho following incident is recorded in tho annual Register of 1765, of his Lordship. Lady Aylesbury, Lady Campbell, Miss Conway and Lord William Campbell were fishing near Henley-upon-Thames, when they hoard a man calling out at a distance, boat I boat ! At last a man appeared calling out there was a man drowning. Upon which his lordship and the ladies imme- diately set out, and came to the place, where they were shown something like a man lying at the bottom of tho water. His lordship stirred the body with the pole of his boat, which was twenty feet long, but as the polo had no hook to it, and his lordship finding he was losing too much time, instantly pulled off his coat, and jumped into tho water, which was sixteen feet deep, and though the man was under the trunk of an old tree, he brought him up and swam to shore with him. His lordship then ordered him to be blooded, and by great care of him he soon began to III LORD WILLIAM CAMPBELL. 153 draw breath, and being carried home perfectly recovered. Lord William Campbell, continues the writer, is a young gentleman, most deservedly esteemed, and is a most gallant and humane sea officer. In 1773, Lord Campbell was appointed Govornor-in Chief of the Province of South Carolina, and Francis Logge was appointed Governor-in-Chief of Nova Scotia in his- place. I'-ili CKAPTEE IX. W Mi Early settlement of New England — Educational system — Boston — Character of the people — Protest of William Pitt against the passage of the Stamp Act — Alienation of the Colonists — Passive attitude of the Nova Scotians — Circular of the Massachusetts House of Representatives to House of Assembly — Its reception — Tone of public opinion in Boston — Prohibition by the Imperial Government of mining operations in Nova Scotia — Reasons there- for — Increased hostility of the Colonists to Great Britain — Be- ginning of hostilities — Precautionary measures of Governor Franklin — Depredations by the Colonists in the Bay of Fundy — Major Legge is appointed Governor — His inquiry into the expenditure of the Province — His character — New England pri- vateers — Independence of the United States — Arrival of Loyalists in Nova Scotia — The Rev. Jacob Bailey — His early life — His arrival in Halifax — His singular appearance — Rev. Dr. Breyn- ton, Rector of St. Paul's — Arrival of refugees at Annapolis — Death of Mr. Bailey — Civil and religious rights of Roman Catholics — Constitution of the Province of New Brunswick — Arrival of Prince William Henry in Halifax — His reception — Charges against Judges Deschamps and BrentoD — Speech of Major Barclay — Decision of the House. The peace of Paris gave to Great Britain a line of colonies, extending from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. The designation New England was applied to Massachusetts which then included Maine and New Hamp- shire — Vermont, Connecticut and Ehodo Island. Boston was the most important city in all the States, and was tacitly acknowledged the common capital of the New England colonies, if not of the entire American colonial sisterhood. The Puritans, who laid the foundation of New England, first landed in the year 1620, near Capo Cod, on THE NEW ENQLANDERS. 155 the shores of Mnssachusctts. One of the most remarkable characteristics of their early settlements was the value they attached to education. The foundation of Harvard College was laid as early as the year 1636, and eleven years afler- wai'ds it was enacted " that every township after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall appoint one to teach all children to write and read, and where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families, they shall set up a grammar school, thus providing the germ of that system of national education which is now being so extensively adopted. Massachusetts has maintained its pre-eminence for literary culture most successfully, for Boston is now acknowledged to be in ad- vance of all the other cities in the United States in general scholastic attainments. The period that has elapsod since the arrival of the Puri- tans till the time of our narrative — nearly a century and a half— has produced a marked change in the habits of the people. Mr. John Adams, the second President of the United States, describes in his diary the elegant and sump- tuous manner in which the houses in Boston were furnished. The Turkey carpets, the painted hangings, the marble tables, the rich beds with crimson damask curtains — all these things would have been regarded by the original settlers and their immediate descendants as indicating worldliness and vanity. But though the New Englanders thus conformed to the world in things in which modern Christians see no harm, yet they retained the stern religious character of their fathers, and were animated with a public spirit and courage which would brook no infringement on their rights, and were ever ready boldly to take the field in defence of their property or liberty. Their resistance to French encroach- ments was as pertinacious as it was successful, and their attachment to the British Crown was ardent and sincere till, by a series of unconstitutional measures, they were foi'ced to n m H l!n. (I ' .•■■1 15G niSTORT OP NOVA SCOTIA. w if* if w nssumo a hostile attitude, and ultimately to sever a connec- tion they could no longer endure. The name of Granville will ever remain associated with the disastrous policy which led to the declaration of Ameri- can independence: so will the year 1765 continue remarkable as that in which the stamp tax was imposed on the Ameri- can colonies. The sum expected from it was only about two hundred thousand pounds, but there was a principle involved which rendered the impost extremely objectionable to the colonists, namely, that taxation without representation wa& constitutional — a principle which they repudiated. The- view taken of the question by Pitt, and to which he gave embodiment in great speeches, the fragments only of which have unfortunately came down to us, has been almost uni- versally endorsed by posterity. The evil consequences of the measures which had been adopted during his absence from Parliament, seem to have presented themselves to his mind with peculiar force. " It is a long time," he said in addressing the House, " since I have attended in Parlia- ment. When the resolution was taken in the House to tax America I was in bed. If I could have endured to have been carried in my bed — so great was the agitation of my mind in consequence — I would have solicited some kind hand to have laid me down on this floor to have borne my testimony against it. The justice, the equity, the policy of this measxire I shall leave to another time, but since I can- not depend upon my health for any future day, such is the nature of my infirmities, I will say now this much, that in my opinion this kingdom has no right to lay a tax on the colonies. Taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power. At the same time on every real point of legislation, I believe the authority of Parliament to be fixed as the polar star — fixed for the reciprocal benefit of the mother country and the infant colonies. The colonists are the subjects of this kingdom, equally entitled with yourselves to all the f , THE STAMP ACT. 157 rights of mankind, and tiio peculiar privileges of English- men, and equally bound by its laws. The Americans are the sons, not the bastarda of England," Intelligence of the passing of the Stamp Act was received in America Avith intense indignation. In Boston and other cities riots took place during which valuable property was destroyed and life endangered. In Nova Scotia no opposition seems to have been made to the Stamp Act. The liberal grants made by Parliament for the settlement of Halifax, and the continuous circulation of money consequent on the maintenance of a considerable military and naval force in the Province, operated very naturally as a sedative. Efforts wei'e, however, made by the House of Eoln'esentatives of the Province of Massachusetts to stimulate opposition in Nova Scotia. They addressed a cii'cular to the Assembly dated the eleventh of February, 17C8, in which they drew attention to the several acts of Parliament, imposing duties and taxes on the American colonists. They disclaimed any intention of dictating to the Assembly what its action should be in the circumstances, their desire being that all possible care should be taken that the representatives of the several Assemblies in dealing with so delicate a point should harmon- ize with each other. They wished their letter to bo considered in no other light than as expressing a disposition freely to communicate their mind to a sister colon}'- upon a common concern, in the same manner as they would bo glad to receive the sentiments of any other House of Assembly. They acknowledged that in all free States the constitution is fixed, and asserted that as the Supreme Legislature derived its power and authority from the constitution, it could not overleap the bounds of it without destroying its own founda- tion — that it was an essential unalterable right in nature, ingrafted into the British Constitution as a fundamental law, and ever held sacred by the subjects within the realm, that what a man hath honestly acquired is his own which he may L m m ^lu( 158 HISTORY OF NOVA SOOTIA. El 1 ' freely give, but that it cannot bo taken from him without his own consent. They, therefore, argued, with tlio groatcHt deference to the wisdom of rarliament, that the acts passed there, imposing duties on tlio people of the colonies for the express purpose of raising a revenue, were itifringements of their natural constitutional rights, because, as they were not represented in the British Parliament, their property, by those acts, was taxed without their consent, and assuming that the right to tax were inherent in Parliament, they deemed it unjust that they should not only pay the taxes to which the goods thoy imjwrtod from Groat Britain were subjected there, but also an a<.lditional tax on their arrival in the colonies. The document in which these potent arguments were contained was neither read in the Assembly nor answered. Lieutenant Governor Francklin was probably doubtful as to the impression the views advocated might make on the House, and forwiirdcil it to the Earl of Shelburne, assuring his lordship, in the letter which accompanied the document, that no temptation, however great, would lead the inhabi- tants of Nova Scotia to show the least inclination to oppose acts of the British Parliament. As the circular was addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly and not to the Government, its transmission to the Home Authorities, without its being even read in the Assembly, seems to liavo been an irregular proceeding. The tone of public ojiinion in Boston as to the recent conduct of the British Parliament in reference to the Ameri- can colonies, is indicated by the report of proceedings at a celebration held in that city by the " Sons of Liberty," as reported in the Boston " Evening Post" of the twenty-second of August, 1768, when the following were some of the toasts proposed : — " Our Eightful Sovereign, George the Thii*d" — " The Sons of Liberty throughout the world" — " A per- petual Union of Great Britain and her Colonies upon the GOVERNOR FRANCKLIN. 159 inimutiiblo principlos of justice and oquity"— "May the sin- i(cody repeal of uncon- stitutional Acts of Parliament, and a (inal removal of illegal oppressive ofticos" — " John WilUos and all independent members of the British Parliament." In these toasts, and others Avhich might bo quoted, there is evidence that the attachment of the Now Englanders to the parent state was not yet entirely alienated, whilst at the same time the popu- larity of Wilkes proves that there was a growing s}-mpathy with the extreme political views for which that demagogue was noted. In the year 17C8 Lieutenant Governor Francklin,* avIio had been a])pointcd Governor on the death of Governor Wilraot iji 17t)(), received an order from the Secretaiy of State pro- hibiting the working of the coal deposits of Capo Breton. •Michael Fmiicklin was a native oftlic soiitli oC Eii<;lanil. He came to Halifax about tlie year 1752, and was engaj ^'.1 lur manj- years in mercantile purKuits. He was elected a meniljer of the House of Asseinbly in 1759, and appointed to His Majesty's Council on the third of May, 1762. In 17G6 he received tlie appointment of Lieut. - Governor of Nova Scotia, which he held till superseded by Admiral Arbuthnot, on tlie twenty-seventh of February, 177G, when he a^ain took Ids seat at the Council Board. In this and the followiii'T year he was occupied in organizing the militia of tlie Province, and re- ceived the rank of Lieut. -Colonel. For several years before his death, Mr. Francklin was Commissioner of Indian Atfairs for Nova Scotia. His exertions ni support of British authority while administering the Government were greatly instrumental in preserving the tranquility of Nova Scotia during the period of the American revolt. In his letters to England he frequently complains of unfair treatment by Mr. Legge, who, for several years, held the appointment of Governor-in-Chicf. Governor Francklin married a daughter of Joseph Bouteneau, of Boston, who was a granddaughter of Mr. Peter Faneuil, of that city, lie had several children. The late James B. Francklin, for forty years Clerk of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia, was his eldest son, whose only daughter married the Rev. R. F. Uniacke, Rector of St. George's, Halifax. Governor Francklin died in Halifax, on the eighth ol November, 1782. (See Nova Scotia Archives.) \ '' 160 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. He was at the same time instructed to report as to thO development of manufactures in the Province. Mr. Murdoch justly remarks : " It is obvious from this, as vsroll as from a multitude of other facts, that a close jealousy existed with the manufacturers of England against any attempt in America to do anything in that line, and this narrow policy, influenced by a few avaricious capitalists engaged in manufactures, did more to lose the pld Provinces to England than any other circumstance." As coal is indispensable to the conduct of any extensive manufacturing operations, it was justly considered that the pi'ohibition to excavate it would bo the most effectual mode of crushing any progress in in- wJustrial enterprise, thus compelling the colonists to purchase goods from the Mother country. Mr. Brown, in his history of Cape Breton, is unable to account for the policy of the British Government when, after the conclusion of the war with the United States, the Governors of Nova Scotia were instructed to give ever^' oncouragement to loyalists wishing to settle in the Province, while they were strictly pi-ohibited, oil any pretence whatever, to make land grants in the island of Cape Breton. The key to this policy, which was perse- vered in till the year 1784, is to be found in the dread which pervaded the mercantile mind in Great Britain lest the New Englanders should transfer to the region of coal a portion of that manufacturing enterprise which was now being so rapidly developed in the States, and which was quickened and stimulated by the determination not to be dependent for supplies on that great emporium of manufacturing indus- try. The Govoi-nment, moreover, tried to conceal their motives in thi.s prohibition by including in it the other islands comprehended in the Government of Nova Scotia.-'' * Governor Franc':lin, in a letter to tlie Earl of Shelburne, said: "The country people, in general, work up, for their own uhc, into etockinge, and a stuff called homespun, wliat little woo! their few eheep produce ; and they also make part of their coarse linen from the COLONIAL HOSTILITY TO BRITANIA. 161 The hostility to British connection continued to intensify among the colonists till in April, 1115, blood was shed, and war immodiatoly ensued. The colonists had formed a Pro- vincial arsenal about eighteen miles inland from Boston, General Gage had resftlved to destroy it, and for that pur- pose sent a detachment of several hundred light troops. Pains had been taken to keep the movement secret, but the troops had advanced only a few miles in+o the country when bells were rung, and guns fired to give the alarm. The dotachmont arrived at the stores too late to effect their object, for save two or three cannon, a small quantity of ammunition, and a few barrels of flour, everj'thing of value had, through the activity of the colonists, been removed. The troops new began their retreat, and were assailed from all quarters by numerous bands of militia. Had General Gage not taken the precaution of sending out another detachment to provide for an adverse result, the first would have been completely destroyed. The loss to the British in nj; I ' 'I t^ flax they produce. The townships of Truro, Onslow and Londonderry, consisting in the whole of six hundred and ninety-four men, women and children, composed of people chiefly from the north of Ireland, make all their linen, and even some little to spare to the neighboring towns. This year they rainetl seven thousand five hundred and twenty-four pounds of flax, which will probably be worked up, in their several families, during the winter. I cannot omit representing to your Lord- ship, on this occasion, that this Government has at no time given encouragement to manufactures which could interfere with those of Great Britain ; nor has there been the least appearance of any asso- ciation of private persons for that purpose ; nor are there any person? who profess thcTuselves weavers, so as to make it their employujent or business, but only work at it, in their own families, during the winter and other leisure time. It may be also proper to observe to your Lordship that all the inhabitants of this Colony are employed either in husbandry, fishing, or providing lumber; and that all the manufactures for their clothing, and the utensils for farming and fishing, are made in Great Britain." (This quotation gives an inter- esting peep into the condition of Colchester in 176G, as well as indicates the entire absence of any encouragement on the part of the Govern- ment to home manufactures at that period.) 162 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. : J i if I' if- i ?< * ii I J; ( rr: •pi- ■h ' this skirmish — which t le colonists designated the battle of Lexington — was two hundred and seventy-three, and that of the Americans abrut ninety. Such were the circum- stances in wliich blood was first spilt in the contest. In Nova Scotia a proclamation was issvied by the Gover- nor, ill July, 17T5, forbidding any correspondence with rebels in New England ; and another was issued under an Act of the Assembly, prohibiting arms, gunpowder, and ammunition,. from being exported, except by license from the Governor — these precautions being necessary in order to repress any disposition to derive large profits from the sale of articles for which a very high price could be obtained in the revolted colonics. The enthusiasm with which the New Englandors began the war is proved by the alacrity with which a small com- munity at Machias, in the Bay of Fundy, began hostile ope- rations against British authority. Having been empowered by the Congress of Massachusetts to take any steps they chose against the King's forces, they had the audacity to capture an armed schooner in the King's service, in wliich operation several lives were lost. Encouraged by their success they fitted out a privateer to destroy British vessels engaged in conveying cattle and iici} for the supply of the troops at Boston. Under the commavid of Stephen Smith, of Machias, delegate to the Massachusetts Congress, a sloop entered the Tiivor St. John, destroyed Fort Ficdoriclc, and captured a brig of one hundred and twenty toni, laden with supplies for Boston. A stop was put to these V3ry bold acts by frigates which Admiral Graves sent to cruine in the Bay of Fundy. Lieutenant-Governor Legge, to whom we have referred as appointed in 1773 — a relative of the Earl of Dartmouth — was at this time Governor of Nova Scotia. Ho was a remarkably sharp man of business, and gpvo no small offence to persons in ofiico by the rigid inc[uiry which ho DEFALCATIONS IN PROVINCIAL FUNDS. 163 Jay as 1 — a mil ho mstituted into tho past oxpcndituro of the Province. Ho complainotl to the Earl of Dartmouth, on his assuming office, that tho Province was twenty thousand pounds in debt. On making inquiry about the books and accounts of the deceased treasurer, they wore not to bo found — in itself a most sus- picious circumstance. Mr. Benjamin Green, tho present treasurer, could give no account of them, and the widow of the late treasurer expressed equal ignorance of their exist- ence. Actions were raised against John Newton and Jona- than Binney, and verdicts for seven hundred and thirty-six pounds currency was obtained in the Suprom?! Court. Mr. Newton paid into tho treasury the sum recovered against him, but Binney was committed in default. Lieutenant-Governor Francklin wrote to the Scci'otary of State, explaining the manner in which the money for the recovery of which Mr. Binney was prosecuted, had been voted to him as salary for certain services rendered, and on tho assumption of his explanation being reliable, it is diffi- cult to account for the legal verdict against Mr. Binney. Two things seem clear from a perusal of available facts — first," that there had been irregularity in the management of the finances of the Province ; and, secondly, that Governor Leggo was so very zealous in the public service as to impugn tho integrity of men like Mr. Bulkoley,'f= whose honor, in * lleference has already boon made to Ricliard Biilkcley, as editor of the first newspaper published in the Province, He accompanied Governor Cornwallis to Nova Scotia, in 1749, antl became secretary of the Province about the year 1759, continued to fill tliat important office, under thirteen successive Governors, till the year 1793, when he was permitted to resign in favor of his son, Michael Freke Bulkeley. He was appointed member of Council in 1759, and administered the goveriuK"nt of the Province, as senior Councillor, on the death of Gov- ernor Parr, in 1791. Mr. B. also held several offices of trust. He liud been twice marii"d. His first wife was a daughter of Capt. John Rous, R.N. She died in January, 1775. His eldest and youngest sons bofli died in Jamaica. His son Freke, vx-ho succeeded him as Provincial Secretary, and was also a member of Assembly for the county of I 11 ii ' ' i:[l h. i i *■... i; 'I Ii i^i:: ;;!j Ii I' 164 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. public estimation, was above suspicion. While Governor Legge was industrious, and had the faculty of discovering abuses in the administration of the public funds, yet he was most ungracious in manner, and when ho was recalled, in May, 1776, the majority of the Council felt as if an incubus had been removed. Through family influence, Leggo con- tinued to hold, as a sinecure, the oflSco of Governor for seve- ral years, and to receive the salary attached to it — the Government being carried on by Lieutenant-Governors, namely. Commodore Arbuthnot, Mr. Hughes, and Sir A. S. Hammond, R.N., the latter being succeeded by John Parr, in 1782, who held office for nine years. During the war the New Englanders were most active in fitting out privateers, to prey on British commerce. Several combined in making an attack on Lunenburg, in the month of June, 1782. Having compelled some of the inhabitants to pilot them to the town, they liuided in considerable force, and plundered the settlement — burning Mr. Creighton's house. In the following year, however, peace was con- cluded ; and, when John Adams, the first minister at the Court of George the Third, jn-esented himself at a levee', the King gave utterance to the following noble sentiments : "1 will be very frank with you. I was the last to consent to the separation ; but, the separation having been made, and Halifax, died suddenly in 1796, at an early age. Mr. Bullcelcy died on the seventh of December, 1800, at the age of eighty-three, beloved and renpected by all clanscs throughout the Province. He left a widow and one son — tlie latter then residing in England. At his death he held the office of Judge of the Admiralty, Grand Master of the Free- masons, and Brigadier-General of Militia — a raidc never since con- ferred on any militia officer in Nova Scotia. He maintained a charac- ter for uprightness and ability throughout his long career, and having outlived all his contemporaries, he had for years been esteemed the father of the Province. The old stone house, formerly the residence of the late Hon. H.H. Cogswell, at the corner of Prince and Argyle 8treet8,wa8 built by Mr. Bulkeley ; he resided there at the time of his death. His escutcheon is in the west gallery of St. Paul's Church, Halifax. — See Nova Scotia Archives. 'm IMMIGRATION TO THE PROVINCE. 165 having become inevitable, I have always said, and I say now, that I would be the first to meet the friendship of the United States as an indejiendent power." On the declaration of peace, Nova Scotia received a largo accession to her jiopulation. Thousands of loyalists emi- grated from the States to the Province. Governor Parr, in writing to Lord North, in September, 1*783, int: 'ates that about thirteen thousand rofugees had arrived at Hali- fax, Annapolis, Port Eoseway, the river St. John and Cum- berland during the last few months. This enormous immigra- tion took place so suddenly that the necessary preparations were not made for so large a number of people, and much suffering was the consequence. The Pev. Jacob Bailey of the Church of England, who ministered to the i^eople of Annapolis, in the year 1783, furnishes a number of interest- ing facts which throw considerable light on the condition of the refugees, as well as on the general state of the Pro- vince at this period. Mr. Bailey was born at Rowley, Massachusetts, in the year ITSl. His parents were poor, but the boy had a thirst for knowledge, which he strove to acquire under discouraging circumstances. He used to amuse himself by writing secretly on various subjects, and one of his papers having accidentally fallen into the hands of Mr. Jewett, the Congregational minister at Rowley, he paid the boy's father a visit, and requested that ho should be put under his care for tuition. Thif pioposal, according to his own account, he found encumbered with insuperable difficulties, for he imagined it impossible to introduce him- self to the flimily without perishing under an intolerable weight of blushes, and the deepest confusion. Ho arose in the morning, having never closed his ejes the preceding night, and directed his course to the parson's. He passed the house, and walked backwards and forwards no less than ton times. At last, a strange pang of courage came upon him, and forced him up to the door ; but, alas, when he 166 History op nova scotia. ■'''{{ arrived hi.s heart failed him, and his spirits began to sinlc, till finding that tlio eyes of a young female in the neighbor- hood were turned towards him, ho concluded of the two evils prudentially to choose the lesser, and so instantly en- tered, lie got over the difficulties of an introduction, and was put to learning that very afternoon, an,d, as he had the good fortune to perceive, greatly to the acceptance and admiration of his master. Mr. Bailey entered Harvard College when he was twenty years of age. During the vacations ho acted in the capa- city of a teacher, and thus struggled througli college. Ho at length received episcopal ordination in London, to which city he had gone for that purpose. In the year lYGO Mr. Bailey was sent to Pownalborough, in the State of Maine, as a missionary, by the Society for projiagating the Gospel in foreign parts. There he labored for about eighteen years. The fact of his being supported by a British Society excited the indignation of many, and he was, as a loyalist, subjected to persecution of no ordinary severit}', which led to his removal to Halifax in the year 1Y79. The account wiiich Mr. Bailey gives of his condition on his arrival at Halifax will indicate the privations to which hundreds of respectable and educated loyalists were subjected at this period, whilst, at the same time, the numer- ous details will amuse the reader. Having entered the harbor, the vessel proceeded towai-ds a wharf near the Pontac — the name of the hotel of that day. " AVe were now plainly sensible," writes Mr. Bailey, " that our uncouth habits und uncommon aj^jpearance had by this time attracted the notice of multitudes, Avho flocked towards the water to indulge their curiosity. These inquisitive strangers threw xis into some confusion, and to prevent a multitude of imper- tinent interrogations, which might naturally be expected by persons in our circumstances, I made the following public declaration, standing on the quarter-deck — ' Gentle- THE REV. MR. BAILEY IN HALIFAX. ICY mon, wo aro a company of fugitives fi-om Kennebcclc, in Now England, driven by famine and persecution to talvC refuge among you, and, tliereforo, I must entreat your candor and compaswion to excuse tlie meanness and singu- larity of our dress,' I, at that moment, discerned among the gathering crowd Mr. Kitson, one of our Kennebcck neighbors, running doAvn the street to our assistance. lie came instantly on board, and after mutual salutation, helped us on shore. Thus, just a fortnight after wo left our own beloved habitation, we found ourselves landed in a strange country, destitute of money, clothing, dwelling or furniture, and wholly imcertain what countenance or protection wo might obtain from the governing powers. Mr. Kitson kindly offered to conduct us either to Mr. Brum's or Captain Callahan's, and just as we had quitted our vessel, Mr. Moody, formerly clork to the King's chapel, appeared to welcome our arrival. But as it may afford some diversion to the courteous reader, I Avill suspend my narrative a few moments to describe the singularity of our apparel, and the order of our procession through the streets, which wore surprisingly contrasted by the elegant dresses of the ladies and gentlemen we happened to meet in our lengthy ambula- tion. And here I am confoundedly at a loss where to begin, whether with Captain Smith or myself, but as he Avas a fiiithful pilot to this haven of repose, I conclude it is no more than gratitude and complaisance to give him the preference. IIo was clothed in a long swingling thread- bare coat, and the rest of his habit displayed the venerable signatures of antiquity, both in the form and materials. His hat carried a long peak before, exactly perpendicular to the longitude of his aquiline nose. On the right hand of this sleek commander shuffled along your very humble servant, having his feet adorned with a pair of shoos which sustained the marks of rebellion and independence. My logs wore covered with a thick pair of blue woollen stock- 4 168 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. U-:: 1 i^' ings, which had been so often mended and darned by the fingers of frugality that scarce an atom of tlio original remained. My breeches, which just concealed the shame of my nakedness, had formerly been black, but the color being worn out by age, nothing remained but a rusty grey, bespattered with lint, and bedaubed with jiitch. Over a coarse tow and linen shirt, manufactured in the looms of sedition, I sustained a coat and waistcoat of the same dandy grey russet, and to secrete from public inspection the innu- merable rents, holes, and deformities which time and mis- fortune had wrought in these ragged and weather beaten garments, I was furnished with a blue surtout, fretted at the elbows, worn at the button holes, and stained with a variety of tints, so that it might truly be styled a coat of many colors, and to render this external dtiportmcnt of my habit still more conspicuous and worthy of observation, the waist descended below my knees, and the skirts hung dangling about my heels; and to complete the whole a jaundice-coloured wig, devoid of curls, was shaded by the remnants of a rusty beaver, its monstrous brim replete with notches and furrows, and grown limpsy by the alternate inflictions of storms and sunshine, lo])ped over my shoulders, and obscured a face meagre with famine and wrinkled Avith solicitude. My consort and niece came lag- ging behind at a little distance, the former arrayed in a ragged baize night gown tied round her middle with a woollen string instead of a sash ; the latter carried upon her back the tattered remains of an hemlock colored linsey-woolsey, and both their heads were adorned with bonnets composed of black moth-eaten stulf, almost devoured with the teeth of time. I forgot to mention the admirable figure of their petticoats, gogged at the bottom, distinguished by a multi- tude of fissures, and curiously drabbled in the mud, for a heavy rain was now beginning to set in. And to close this solemn procession Dr. Mayer ard my faithful John mai-ched :!i li; ^4 THE REV. DR. BREVNTON. 169 alon" in all tho pride of poverty and majesty of rags and patches, which exhibited tho various dyes of the rainbow. In this manner our procession began, and was sup})orted till we arrived at Captain Callahan's, near half a mile from the place of our landing." We must now introduce to tho reader the Rev. Dr. Brcynton, Rector of St. Paul's Church,* Halifax, at this time. " In a few minutes after," says Mr. Hailey, " we were favored with a visit from the polite and generous Dr. Broynton. He addressed us with that ease, freedom and gentleness peculiar to himself. His countenance exhibited a neat finished picture of compassionate good nature, and cft'usions of tenderness and humanity glistened in his vene- rable eyes when ho had learned part of ou. history. He kindly assured us that he most heartily congratulated us on our fortunate deliverance from tyranny, oppression, and poverty, and ho declared that we might depend on his attention and assistance to make us comfortable and happy. The turn of his features, and the manner of his expression afforded a convincing evidence of his sincerity, and the event afterwards gave me undeniable illustration that I was not mistaken in my favorable conjectures." Hero is a glimpse of Mi-. Francklin, whose name has already * St. Paul's church was built in 1750. The Rev. Win. Tutty, of Emuiannel College, Canibriilge, a missionary sent to Halifax under the auspices of the Soc'ety for propagating the Gospel seems to have been the first minister who officiated in the church. In 1752 the Rev. John Breynton was appointed second missionary to the English inhabitants of Nova Scotia. On the death of Mr. Tutty in 1753, the Rev. T. Wood, from the Province of New Jersey, was appointed to Halifax. Mr. Wood having removed to Annapolis in 176.3, the duties of tlie mission devolved entirely on Mr. Breynton. This useful mis- sionary had established a school in the town in which fifty orphans, besides other children, were taught. He preached to the Germans in their own language, and was otherwise an able and eloquent preacher. See Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the Church of England in the British North American Provinces, by Thomas Beamish Akins, Esq. ^iJ 170 III8T0RY OF NOVA SCOTIA. \" appeared in our narrative. The next person of consequence — continues Mr. liailey — who engaged our attention was Mr. Franckiin, formei-ly Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. lie had several Indians in his train, arrayed in nil their tin- sel finery — among the rest a Sachem belonging to the tribe of St. John's. This fellow, by the oddity of his appearance, and the singularity of his visage, immediately struck my imag- ination, and I was unable to look upon him without a mixture of hilarity and wonder, lie was arrayed in a long blue coat, adorned with a scarlet cape, and bound close about his loins with a girdle, lie wore upon his head a narrow brimmed flapped hat, and his face was an entire composition of wrink- les. 1 was admitted to the honor of shaking hands with this American monai'ch who eyed me from head to foot, and per- ceiving that I had more rags than finery about me, I plainly discerned that his complaisance was mingled with a degree of contempt, for, instead of pulling off his hat, he only touched it with his fingers and nodded his head, though I remarked a few days after, when 1 was dressed in a new suit of clothes, he approached me with higher marks of veneration, and did not fail to take his hat wholly from his head," Mr. Bailey was called to Cornwallis in the year 1779, where he ministered till the year 1782, when he returned to Annapolis. He describes the town at that time as contain- ing one hundred and thirty inhabitants. A few months after his arrival at this new sphere of labor, the refugees began to arrive. In the month of October nine transports, convoyed by men of war, entered the basin. They contained five hundred souls sent by the British Governmentto Nova Scotia. Every habitation was crowded, and many were unable to pro- cure lodgings. Some of the immigrants were persons of education who had occupied a respectable social position. A number of other vessels came in towards the end of the month, with immigrants of the same sort, to the aggregate number of a thousand souls. Hundreds had to be accommo" 11 ECCENTHICITV OV DH. I'ETERS. 171 dated in the churcho.t, but tlievo was a larger numljcr for Avhom no accommodation whatever could be provided. Mr. ]5ailey represents the circum.stancos of those unfortunate jieoiilo as truly wretched, and says that instead of increasing his emoluments they would daily make demands on his com- ])assion and charity. ^t this period, the work of a clci'gy- man settler in the country was sufficiently onerous. Once a month Mr. Bailey officiated at Granville, about fourteen miles from his home. lie rode about twelve miles on Satur- day, the next day proceeded about two miles by water, and frequently had to climb the banks of the river up to his knees in mud. Then after preaching tAvo sermons, catechizing the children, and baptizing a number of infants, ho .'cturned home on Sunday evening by the same route. Mr. Bailey corresponded with an eccentric clergyman of the church, Dr. Peters of London, who in reference to his labors thus wrote — " This will reach j'ou by the grace of Dr. Seabur}', Bishop of Connecticut, who will wait on you, and give you his bene- diction of more value than mine, and twenty-six Eight Eev- erend Lord Bishops. Ills certificate Avill oe of great service to you at St. Peter's gate, who will admit you at sight of it into heaven,without touching at purgatory because you have resided in Nova Scotia nine 3'ears,wliich must have purged and sweated you more than three hundred and sixty-five days could have done in the Pope's prison. Your labors are truly hard, and your reward is in heaven along with our curates here, who bury seven in a day, christen ten to fifteen out and in the church, marry from throe to seven coujile per day, visit six or seven persons by night and by day, read and preach three times on each Sunday, and all for forty to forty-five pounds per annum!" Mr. Builey was rector of St. Luke's parish, Annapolis, for about twenty-five years, and died in July, 1808, aged seventy- seven years, leaving a widow, throe sons and three daughters. As early as the year 1183, just conceptions with respect li w M' m ''"' > i'. 11/* II; 171 HISTORY OF NOVA 8C0TIA. to tho civil and religious rightei of ilomaii Catholies, began to 1)0 ontoi-taincd, public opinion in Nf>va Scotia being, on tluit Hubjoct, at that period, in advance of Groat Britain. Ilonco we And that an act was passed in that year by which some of the disabilities imposed in leas enlightened times by former laws were repealed. It was not, however, till the year 1829, when what is termed the Catholic Emanciimtion Act was i)aMsed in tho British Parliament, that Eoraan Catholics wore ))ut nearly on a lovol withProtor • tants as to civil and religious rights. In tho following year — 1784 — tho Province of New Bruns- wick was constituted. Thomas Carletou was tho first Gov- ernor, lie and his family were received in St. Jolin with great rejoicing by the loyalists. The settlors on tho St. John river wero not satisfied with Nova Scotian governmental rule, and seemed to have regarded their separation as a kind of emancipation from tho bonds of what they designated " the arrogance of tyranny." Hence their own Governor was hailed as a deliverance. There is no evidence, however, that they had any great ground for complaint. The year HStJ was rendered memorable in the Provincial Annals by the arrival in Halifax, on tho fourth of October, from St. John's, Newfoundland, of Prince William Henry — afterwards William the Fourth. The general joy found expression in a brilliant illumination the town. Tho Prince remained for three weeks, leaving for tho West Indies on the twenty -fifth of October. He returned again in June, 1787, and left, in a few days, for Quebec, whence he came br.ck to Halifax in October, when he was munificently entertained by Governor Parr and the House of Assembly, by whom seven hundred pounds were voted for a dinner and ball in honor of His Royal Highness. Government House, at which he stayed, occupied at that time the site of tho present Pro- vincial building. In the following year, 1788, tho Province was startled by CIIAUOES AGAFNST JUDGES. 173 charges of maladinini.stration of law brought against two judges of the Snpromo Court — Isaac Doschainps and James Bronton. Messrs. Sterns and Taylor, Attornies, wore the prin- cipal accusers. The matter was brought under the notice of the Assembly, by a motion submitted by Major Milleilgc, the member for Digl)y. Sterns was summonoil before the House, and made a long statement, by which he endeavored to establish his case. The House, without exjiressing any opinion, agreed to present an address t(j the fiovci-nor, i'e(|Uost- iug that an impartial investigation should take i>lace, so that the guilt or innocence of the accused might bo established. To t'lis application His Excellency replied that many of tho charges were matters of legal opinion, ami that the insiima tions of a more criminal nature appeared to bo entirely desti- tute of foundation. Ho, however, assured the House that the case would be considered in such a Avay as to give satis- faction to all concerned. The case was subsequently sub- mitted to tho council for decision, who came to the conclusion that the charges Avero not substantiated. The imperlcct report, which a})pcar8 in the Novti Scotia Magazine for 1790, of some of the speeches delivered in connection with this business, shows that in the Assembly thore were men of marked ability. Major Barclay ijarticularlj'distmguished him- self in tho debate. Eeferring to the message of the Governor in reply to tho address of the House, he said, the message from His Excellency was worded in such a way as not to give satisftiction to tho House. It appeared, from the former jiart of it. His Excellency was prejudging tho case, and in some measure acquitting the judges before any deliberate examin- ation had been gone into, for His Excellency, in his answer, declared that part of the evidence adduced against the judges rested on abstract points of law, on which the judges in England frequently differed in opinion. He declared the reverse was positively the case, and that tho charges against these gentlemen rested on fundamental principles. Assum- n' m HISTORY OP NOYA SCOTIA. ing that the questions were questions of law, His Excellency was wrong in constituting the cjuncil a court in their cir- cumstances, and the council were wrong in presuming to pronounce an opinion on subjects respecting which they were confessedly ignorant. It was expected that such a fair inquiry vvould have been made as would have proved satis- factory. Had such an inquiry taken place — such an inquiry as the House had a right to expect — as the public had aright to expect — and as even the Judges themselves had a right to expect? Did not His Majesty's council, when they wont into the mock inquiry which had taken place, shut them- selves ui> in the council chamber? "Was anyjierson admitted to give evidence on the occasion, or were even the judges themselves admitted ? Did not even the two gentlemen, who had given information to the Houso, when they found the council was about to enter on an inquiry into the conduct of the judges, address the Governor by memorial, and oiler to come forward and substantia^^c the information they had given before the House ? bid they n^t inform His Excellency that the judges, were accused not barely on their inform.ition, but on the testimony of monibers belonging to that House? Did they not declare that only part of the information which they had given the House was reduced to Avriting? And did they not pray that they might bo porniitted to come forward as witnesses upon the occasion, and to substantiate, under oath, those facts which they had but imperfectly stated to the House ? In oi'der to impress the House with his sense of the absurdity of the proceedings he asked — " had His Majesty's council, upon a bare perusal of the information presented to them, and the answers of the judges in their own defence, found the ;'udgos guilty, would the latter have rested satisfied with 80 si/igular a trial ? Would they not rather have como forward and loudly complained of the injury done to them by a mode of tr"al wanting every legal form established by the coustitutiou? If, therefore, His Majesty's Justices of ,)]>• JUDGES ACQriTTED. 175 the Supreme Court would not, in such a case, have been satis- fied, surely the public od the present occasion had an equal right to complain. Bowng to the speaker and to the House, he requested them to lay their hands on their hearts and say whether they were satisfied with the proceedings of the Coun- cil in the case. lie woul 1 take the liberty of answei'ing for them and say they wore not." This case, which had excited deep interest throughout the Province, ended by a decision of His Majesty's Privy Coun- cil that the charges aga nst the judges were not sustained, and conseq"icntly they were fully acquitted. 4 n 'i'U-K. 1 I'll I: «■'■! ' m i: I'S ! .1 If i'^r. CIIAPTEE X. Arrival of Governor Wentworth — Dissolution of the House of As- eenibly — Declaration of war between France and England — Mea- sures for the defence of the Province — Numerical strength of the Militia — Arrival of Prince Edward in Halifax — A sketch of his life — His reception in Halifax — Loss of H.M. Ship La Tribune — The Prince's Lodge — H. R. H. meets with an accident, and re- turns to England — Is created Duke of Kent — Appointed Com- mander-in-Chief in British America — His arrival — Finally leaves for England — Appointed Governor of Gibraltar, and is recalled^ His marriage — Birth of Princess Victoria — His death— Judge Haliburton's letter to Sir John Hervey in reference to the character of the Prince — His benevolence -He establishes Regi- mental Schools — Louis Ignace de Salaborry — Tlie Prince's correspondence with the Salaberry family — Edwaril Salaberry — Amelia Salaberry. It was in the year 1792, that John "Wentworth, who had aaccecdcd John Parr as Lieutenant-Governor, arrived in Halifax. He had })reviously been Governor of New Ilamp- Bliire, and held for many years tl.o office of Conimissionor of Woods and Forests in America. On his assuming office h'3 dissolved the Assembly which had eat for seven years, and convened a now one. Tlie elections were cotidiictod without undue excitement; and in writing to Mr. Dundas, the Secretary of State, the Governor gives credit to the new House for desiring to transact the public business with moderation and despatch. War having been declared between France and England in 1793, the Governor set himself to the work of putting the Province in a state of defence. He accordingly took steps to raise a regiment of six hundred men. The town militia consisting of a similar number, were equipped iron the THE MILITIA AT HALIFAX. 177 Ordnance store, and other defensive measures wei-e adopted in the city with vigor. In the western districts of the Province three corj^s of militia were enrolled. At this excjting period the Governor assured Mr. Dundas, that in the event of an attack on Halifax, nine hundred men could he under arms in twenty minutes and bo reinforced in two lioux-s with six hundred more. Ho could calculate on a foi-ce of six thou- sand in the aggregate in the event of circumstances requir- ing their services — the whole military force of the Province being nine thousand one hundred and sixty men. Intelligence having been received that a French fleet was at New York preparing for sea, and that Halifox might be its destination, a council of war was held, when it was resolved that the militia should be brought to town. A thou- sand men accordingly ai*rived with all possible speed from Hants, Kings and Annapolis counties, one company march- ing from Granville to Halifax — one hundred aiid thirty-tive miles — in thirty-four hours. About four thousand men were assembled for the protection of the town. According to concurrent testimony the behaviour of the troops was ad- mirable. They remained at their posts till about November, when the men returned to their homes, the French armament having left the American coast. The alacrity with which the young men of the Province at this juncture mustered for the defence of the country, their attention to drill, their sobriety and soldierly bearing, produced a most favorable impression. In the month of May, 1794, the people of Nova Scotia were gratified by the arrival of Prince Edward — afterwards Duke of Kent — at Halifax. As the military connection of the Prince with Nova Scotia wr s eminently honorable to himself, and as his name will be permanently associated with the history of the Province, a very brief sketch of his life, ftt this stage of our narrative, may not be deemed inappro- priate. * w. 1:1,:;.: wm iiiiil 178 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. Edward Augustus, fourth son of George the Third, by his onne ,11, the Princess Charlotte, of Mecklonburgli-Strctlitz, was horn at Buckingham House on the second of November, 17G7. The following incident illdstrative of his truthfulness when a boy is recorded by his tutor, Mr. Fisher — afterwards Bishop of Salisbury : " At Kew Palace there was a time- piece highly prized by George the Third; it was a clumsy affair ; tbere was nothing particular in its construction, oj.* ingenious about its movements. The only attraction it possessed arose from its historical associations. It had bo- longed to the youthful Duke of Gloucester, son of Queen Anne. One morning the pedestal of this relic was found vacant, and the time-piece itself lying on the ground a wreck. It had been battered by some heavy instrument, and lay shivered in fragments. Eepair was hopeless. The dial was damaged irreparably. The King's displeasure was not light, and immediate inquiries were instituted. They issued in no satisfactory result ; the culprit could not even be guessed at; no one had witnessed the disaster; no ono could explain its occurrence. After many hours had elapsed by mere chance the question was put to Prince Edward. ' I did it,' .,.*s the instant and unhesitating repl}'. 'But,' said the party, anxious to screen the intrepid boy, 'yoar Eo^al Highness did it fcy accident?' 'No, I did it inter\'.;ionally.' 'But your Eoyid Highness regrets what you have done?' *No, not at all!' 'Not sorry?' 'No, I may bo sorry for it to-morrow, but I certainly am not sorry for it now.' It was impossible to get over this avowal. The Prince was punishoil, and not slightly." In the year 1785, Prince Edward being then in his eighteenth yeai*, was sent to Luneburg, Hanover, to prose- cute his studies. His royal father allowed one thousand pounds annually for his maintenance, but of that sum the Prince was granted only a guinea and a half a week for his personal expenses. His military superior he designated a i. PRINCE EDWARD IN LONDON. 179 al y' 0?' for It ■was mercenary tyrant. After reinaiiiing a year in Liineburg, ho was sent to Ilanovor, where he found no remedy for oxi.sting evils, lie was subjected to a contemptible system of espi- onaifc, his letters were intercepted, and he was represented to his father as extravagant. His life ho describes as " one never ending paiade." In October, 1787, he experienced some relief by being sent to Geneva. Here six thousand pounds were allowed for his support, yet ho still was limited to a guinea and a half for pocket money. In TJcncva ho met with young Englishmen with whom he was glad to associate, but felt so mortified and embarrassed for want of funds, that he contracted debt to a consider.'iblo amount. In the year 17iH), he resolved to visit London. He put up on his arrival at a hotel, where he was immediately visited by his brothers, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. When the king was informed of his arrival he was very angry. Jle refused to see his son after an absence of six years, simply because lie had presumed to quit his post without his orders. After remaining ten days in England, he w.as oi-dei'cd to leave within twenty-four hours tor Gibraltar. On the night before his departure he was ad- mitted to the king's presence for five minutes only. On reaching Gibralta'-, he was placed nnder the tutelage of Colonel Symes, ?i liljerai-vnindod and Kiiid-hearted man. The Prince was now l!)olonel of the Seventh l?egiment of Foot. Ilia system of discipline was so rigid as to make him unpopular with the troops. Rumors of his unpopulari'y reached England, and His Royal Highness and his regiment wcro ordered to embark for America. He stood high, however, in the estimation of his brother olTicers, who gave him a splendid entertainment on the eve of liis departure for Canada. He quitted Quebec in January, 1704, for tlio purjiose of joining Sir Charles Grey in the West Indies, where ho arrived on the fourth of March. A post of honor was im- i ^ ft ^ 180 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. M ■('!■ Mira' lip ::,r.-.'lii mediately assigned him. lie headed the flank divieon at the storming of several strong forts in Martinique and Guar daloajjo. Sir Charles wrote in terms of the highest praise to His ]Majo.,iy as to the conduct of his son. For his gallant services lie received the thanks of the House of Commons and thfi House of Lords. Prinze Edward Avas now twenty-seven years of age, and although his brother, the Duke of York, had obtained his parlian ontary allowance when he Avas twenty-one years, and the Duke of Clarence Avhen he was twenty-four, yet DO such provision was made for Prince Edward. And why ? Doubtless because his political sentiments and enlightened views of government were in advance of the time — his po- litical principles being antagonistic to those of his father, and being represented by certain busybodies as ultra-radical in their tendency. The campaign of 1794 being ended, His Royal Highness returned to North America, arriving in Halifax on the tenth of May. The town was illuminated in honor of his arrival, and at a levee held at Government House, addresses were presented to him from the Lieutenant-Governor and Coun- cil, and the inhabitants. It must bo admitted that the ad- dresses were couched in terms so excessively flattering in reference to the recent military services of the Prince, as to have been scarcely jialatablo. The citizens represented themselves as having been greatly agitated, and as feeling the greatest anxiety lest His Royal Highness should be in- jured, and in allusion to his West Indian exploits they told him that like a groat ancient warrior ho came, he saw, he conquered. The florid stylo of the period must be accepted as an excuse for the ludicrously extravagant congratulations which were showered upon His Royal Highness on this oc- casion. Hero we will take the liberty of interrupting the narra- tive by referring to the loss of His Majesty's ship La WRECK OF " LA TRIBUNE." 181 Tribune, which took place on the twenty third of November, ITOT, a little to the south of Herring Cove, and which elicited the truly generous and beneficent qualities by which Prince Edward was distinguished. Za Tribune was one of the finest frigates in His Majesty's service, carrying forty-four guns, and had been lately captured by the Unicorn frigate. She was commanded by Captain S. Barker, and sailed from Torbay on the twenty-second of September, as convoy to the Quebec and Newfoundland fleets. She lost sight of the fleets on the nineteenth of October, and on Thursday morning, the twenty third of November, came in sight of Halifax harbor, when Captain Barker proposed to the master to lay the ehii) to till a pilot was got. The master remarked that the wind was fair, and as he knew the harbor well no pilot was necessary. About twelve o'clock the ship had approached so near the Thrum cap shoals that the master became alarmed, and sent for Mr. Galvin, the master's mate, who was sick below. Galvin had just appeared on deck, not having time to observe the position of the ship, when she struck. The. captain had gone below to look out some papei's which ho had intended to take ashore with him, and on the ship striking immediately went on deck. Signals of distress were made and answered by the military posts and the ships in the harbor. Boats from all the military posts, from His Majesty's ships and the dock yard proceeded to the relief of the La Tribune, Some of these reached the ship, but others had to return on account of the weather. The ship was immediately lightened by throwing all her guns overboard, so that at nine o'clock she got otf the shoals. The chain pumps were put in action, and it was thought that she might be kept afloat. The gale now intensified, the wind blowing from the southeast. Her anchors were dropped but failed to bring her to, and she was fast driven towards the western shore. It was now ten o'clock, 1 rm^ 182 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 1 i (Mr \ I ' 1 |!!:S !-■■ it 1 fh ■!'i: ■ *,* m and little hope was entcrtahiod of saving the ship or tho lives of those on boai-d of hoi-. About half-past ten o'clock tho whip lui'ched suddeidy, and went down. Two hundred and forty men, and some women and cliildi'en were now strugLfling for Hie in the water. AVith many of them tho etrugylo was very short ; a number chuig to the shroudsi tho tops and other parts of the wrecU, but owing to tho severity of the storm they one by cno dropped off through exhaustion, and disappeared in the raging billows. The cries and groans of the unhappy sulferers, from tho bruises many of them liad received, and as hope of deliverance began to fail them, were heartrending. Although the wreck was so near to the shore that their cries could be distinctly heard, only eight persona survived to see tho light of day. The first effort made for their relief was by a boy thirteen years of age, Avho ventured off in a skiff by himself about eleven o'clock next day. After great labor the little hero succeeded in backing his boat so near that two men were thus saved. Two men named Dunlap and Munroe had pre- served their strength and spirits. The others lay exhausted in tho tops, being unable to move. Through great exertion Dunlap and Muni-oe got them into tho boy's boat, and re- mained on the wreck themselves till succour came. The little boy bravelj' pi't to sea again, but on account of the heavy gale could not get sufficiently near to bo of service. His example, however, shamed others with larger boats who put off, and thus the eight persons were rescued. A quarter-master belonging to the ship, named McGi-egor, had his wife on board; they were a resp'jctable couple, and greatly attached to each other. McGregor, from his aifec tionate solicitude for her safety, endeavored to pei'suade her while tho ship lay on tho shoals to go ashore in one of the boats which came off from the island, as his mind would be more at ease. To his solicitations she replied that she never BENEVOLENCE OF PRINCE EDWARD. 183 ■would abandon him, and that if it was his lot to perish sho wishcil not to survive him. She shared the common fato. A considerable time after the ship had foundered, a man was discovered swimming towards the wreck. On liis ap- proaching it was found to bo Mcfirogor. Ho informed his comrades who were hanging to the wreck that he had swam towards the shore — that ho had ventured as far as ho could with safety into tho surf, and found that if ho went fui-thor ho should bo dashed in pieces, and ho cautioned them all to avoid making a similar attempt, but if possible to hold by tho wreck, llo himself gained the main shrouds, and re- mained there till the mast gave way, and then mot the eamo fate as his unfortunate consort, whoso death he was continually deploring while on tho shrouds. "I^ is with pleasure," says the Jfalifax Journal oi the time, " wo notice the attention which has been paid to the widows and children of the unfortunate sut^orers. His Eoyal Highness Princo Edward, with that generosity which has distingished him during his residence in this Province, directed immediate provision to bo made for the bereaved families, and there is reason to hope that through tho representations of Ilis Roj-al Highness such provision shall bo made as permanent as their sufferings. Actions like these dignify kings, and add splendor to the highest lank." The editor considerately suggested that a subscription should be opened for the littlo follow who bravely rescued tho two men, which, it is to be hoped, was. acted upon. The residence of tho Princo, as is well known, Avas on the west side of Bedford Basin, about six miles from Halifax, and was designated "The Lodge." Tho property had been bought by Governor Wontworth, who, during tho summer months, resided there. Tho Princo improved it, and de- clared that as a residence he preferred it to any place out of England. Sam Slick has given a most graphic account of t.i;'i |: ' ' 184 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. tlio placo as it appeared in his day, from which wc give a short quotation : "As I approaelied the Iiouso I noticed that the windows were broken, or wluit up with rough boards to exchido tiie rain and snow; the door 8U])portcd by wooden projis instead of hinges, which hung loosely on the panels, and that long luxuriant clover grow on the eaves, which had been originally designed to conduct the water from the roof, but becoming choked with dust and decayed loaves, had afforded sufficient fo» d for the nourishment of coarse grasses. The portico, like the house, had been foimed of wood, and the flat surface of its top imbibing and retaining moisture, presented a mass of vegetable matter, from which had sprung ujj a young and vigorous bii-ch tree, where strength and freshness seemed to mock the helpless weakness that nour- ished it. I had no desire to enter the apartments, and, in- deed, the aged ranger whose occupation was to watch over its decay, and to pi-evont its premature destruction by the plunder of the fixtures and more durable materials, inform- ed me that the floors were unsafe. Altogether the scene was one of a most depressing kind. A small brook, which, by a Bkilful hand, had been led over several precijji tons descents, performed its feats alone and unobserved, and seemed to murmur out its complaints, as it hurried over its rocky channel to mingle with the sea, while the weird sighing through the umbrageous wood, appe ircd to assume a louder and more melancholy wail, as it swept through the long vacant passages and deserted saloons, and escaped in plain- tive tones from the broken casements. The offices and oi'- namental buildings had shared the same fate as the house, The roofs of all had fiiUen in, and mouldered into dust, the doors, sashes and floors had disappeared, and the walls, which were only in part built of stone, remained to attest their existence and use. The grounds exhibited similar effects of neglect, in a climavo where the living wood grows 80 i*apidly, and decays so soon as in Nova Scotia. An arbour ACCIDENT TO THE DUKE OP KENT. 185 which had been constructed of liitlUo work, for the 8upj)ort of a flowering vino, had fallen and was covorod with vege- tation, while its roof alone remained, supported aloft by limbs of trees, that, growing up near it, had become entan- gled in its not work. A Chinese temple, once a favorite retreat of its owivjr, as in conscious pritlo of its preference, had offered a more successful resistance to the weather, and ap- peared in tolerable preservation, while one smnll surviving bell, of the numerous ones that once ornamented it, gave out its solitary and melancholy tinkling as it waived in tho wind. How sad was its mimic knoll over pleasures that wore fled for ever." Since the vivid doscrijition of the Clockmaker was written, the scene has undergone a great change. Every v/oodon vestige of tho house and its appurtenances has disappeared, and nothing now remains but the bare foundation. On a small natural mound, so sharp in outline as to ajipear arti- fic'iil, overhanging tho margin of the basin, and about a hundred yards from the site of the house, stands what is called the I'ound house, a small but elegant circular erection, with a dome, which was used by the military bands as they dis- coursed music to tho gay circle at the lodge, and which is almost quite entire as it stood upwards of eighty years ago. The lodge property was sold some years ago to four or five gentlemen who subsequently disposed of it in small build- ing lots. The associations connected with the locality ren- der Iho property of permanant value, and nowhere on the peninsula is there a situation better adapted for marine resi- dences. In August, 1798, his Eoyal llighness in returning from a field day of the garrison, fell with his horse in one of tho streets of the town, and sustained considerable injury. In conformity with medical advice he returned to England, and in the following year a bill was passed granting him his first parliamentary income of twelve thousand pounds IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k A i< '' /:^ (A LP ^1^ IM ^= Hf ^ |2.2 I.I I -^ IIIIIM 18 yi 11114. 11.6 % ^^ V :i7 <^ ^\ WrS ■ ^m >" ids ^ ^ 2>^ 186 HISTORY OF NOVA SQOTIA. mm J sterling per annum— hia brother, the Duke of Cumboiland, though four years younger receiving his parliamenta'-y grant to the same amount on the same day. Prince William Ilonry, when in his twenty-fourth year was created Duke of Clarence; but not ti" Prince Eaward had attained his thirty-third year was he created Duke of Kent. A short time before the accidcuc alluded to, the House of Assembly, on the motion of Mr. Uniacko, voted, besides an address, five hundred guineas icr tho purchase of a star to bo presented to the Prince, in which vote the Council un- animously concurred. The star was accordingly presented by Charles Mary Wontworth, and Lawrence Ilartshorne. On tne seventh of May, 1V99, the Duke of Kent took his seat in the House of Lords, and on the seventeenth of the same month received the appointment of commander-in- chief of the forces in British North America, for which he sailed in July, arriving in Halifax early in September, where he was received with every mark of honor and satis- faction. Before leaving England, he had ordered a new military equipment, ^ hich cost the sum of ten thousand pounds. The Francis, the vessel in which it was stowed, along with an extensi ;• ' library and other valuable effects belonging to tho Duke, was lost on Sable Island, when every soul on board perished. Mr. Copoland, the surgeon of the Prince's regiment, took charge of the property, and hp.d his wife and children with him. There was a number of officers on board, the coachman and gardener to his Royal Highness, and nineteen hands, all of whom perished. It is a remarkable circumstance that the valuable equipment on board tho Francis was the seventh which the Duke had lost in succession, either by being taken by Trench cruisers or by shipwreck. The stay of the Duke in Halifax as commander-in-chief was of short duration, for in the autumn he was obliged to retui-n to England on account of a severe bilious attack, THE DUKE OJ" KENT AT GIBRALTER. 187 accompanied with alarminj^ symptoms. The Lieutenant- Governor and Council presented a valedictory address on his final do2)arture for England, in which they said that to his benevolence the indigent had owed their support, the trades- men ind mechanics employment, and the industrious of every description the means of reaping the recompens^e of their skill and diligence. In his reply, his Eoyal Highness said, that ho should ever look back with a grateful remem- brance to that part of his life which had been passed amongst them, and that the prosperity of Nova Scotia and its inhabitants was a circumstance to which he could at no time bo indiifcrent. The next appointment which the Duke received was the government of Gibraltcr. Mr. Addington was then Prime Minister. Drunkenness and insubordination were then prevalent amongst the troops ai that notable stronghold. " This state of things," said the Premier to the Duke, " must be put down, and your itoyal Highness is the man to do it. You may freely reckon on the fullest support from the Cabinet at home." On the tenth of May, 1802, the Duke arrived at Gibralter. He found the troops in a deplorable condition — much worse than he had anticipated. On the rock were at least ninety shops where intoxicating drinks Avere sold. Dri'ukunness was the rule, sobriety the exception. Crimes v/ere common, and complaints as to the brutality of the soldiers loud and frequent. The Duke be- gan a system of reformation. Though his own income was to a certain extent dependent upon licenses, ho reduced the number of liquor shops to sixty, and subsequently to forty. He established within the barracks canteens where malt liquors only were sold, forbidding the troops under severe penalties to enter the liquor shops. In order to restore disci- pline and diminish crime he established a roll c^.ll at sunrise, a dress parade morning and evening, and fixed regular periods for drill and exorcise. These efforts at reformation were \ w mi' fit' r ■'■m I ;'-: ^:M W 188 HiaTORT OF NOVA SCOTIA. extremely distasteful, not only to the privates, but also to some of the officers, and the withdrawal of so many of the licenses excited the rage of the spirit dealers. The conse- quence was that some of the troops, when under the in- fluence of liquor, wore instigated to mutiny, and that in its suppression a few lives were lost, and not a few of the mu- tineers wounded. In these trying circumsi;jnces the Duke acted with firmness, corn-age and humanity, but his enemies having made false rei^rosentations to the militai-y authorities in England, he was recalled. On his arrival in London, he insisted on a court martial, but his request was perempto- rily refused. The Prince of Wales made no secret of his conviction that his brother was deeply and intolerablj'- in- jui-cd. " Yon send a man," he said to the Premier, " out to control a garrison all but in a state of mutiny. You tell him to terminate euch a disgraceful state of things. You assure him of the unqualified support of government in his undertaking. He goes out. He finds matters infinitely worse than they were n^"" rented. The impending out- break occurs. He quells it thoroughly. By way of reward you disgrace him. Jf j^ou wish to deter an officer from doing his duty, or desire to encourage a mutinous soldier, your tac- tics are admirable. They cannot fail to attain such a result. Edward may well complain. He were neither officer nor man if he were silent." How did the people in Gibi-alter regard the conduct of the Duke ? In spite of the military authorities they sent to the military secretary of the Duke one thousand guineas for the purchase of a memento of their appreciation of his Eoyal Highness, which was expended in the purchase of a diamond garter to correspond with tho star voted him by the Nova Scotia Assembly. The Duke applied to Mi*. Pitt for compensation for the heavy loss he had sustained by th^'Capture or destruction at sea of so many successive equipments, and the amount of Parliamentary allowance which he ought to have received MARRIAGE OP THE DUKE OP KENT. 189 during his absence on military service. The gi'cat com- moner promised redress, but died without taking measures for its attainment. When the question of Catholic Emancipation was discussed in the House of Lords in July, 1812, and a motion was brought forward by the Marquis Wellesley pledging the House early to emancipate the Eoman Calholicts, he sup- ported the motion, avowing his persuasion th,' t the removal of disabilities Avould be the first general measui'o by which the amelioration of Ireland could be effected. He also became patron of the British and Foreign School Society, the Anti- Slavery Society, the Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, and also supported the Eible Society. On the death of the Princess Charlotte of Wales, without issue, the Duke is said to have been urged by Queen Charlotte to pay his addresses to the sister of Prince Leopold of Saxo- Cobourg. She had been married to the Prince Leinengen, who was twenty-eight years her senior, and was now a widow, with a son and daughter. On the twenty-eighth of May they were married at Cobourg, and continued to i-eside at Amorbach, the residence of the Prince Leinengen. The Duchess being now about to be confined, it was necessary to remove to England, but they were prevented till within a few weeks of the Duchess' confinement, through want of means to meet the exjionses of the journey. All applica- tions for relief from Parliament having failed, the Duke had devoted the half of his income to pay his creditors, and was thus in comparatively poor circumstances. His marriage expenses had been necessarily heavy, and absorbed all his available monsy. Receiving, however, temporary relief from untitled friends in England, ho and the Duchess an*ived there in due time, and the Princess Victoria — now Queen of England — was born at Kensington on the twenty-fourth of May, 1819. In January following the Duke, in taking a long walk with Captain Conroy, got his feet thoroughly wet, N i!: «"■ I *a I' i';;:;I.Hl-;|l!i 190 HISTORY OP NOA'A SCOTIA. and, failing to change his boots and stockingf*, was seized with inflammation of the lungs, and died on the twenty- third of the month. lie was perfectly conscious of his approaching death, executed his will, and departed in the hope of forgiveness through the merits of Christ. Her present Majesty, then an infant, was at the funeral. The first carriage contained the infant Princess, a most lovely child, eight months old on the day of her fjtther's death. She was placed, it seemed, by her nurse, against the carriage window, to gratify the sjiectators; she looked round upon them with her open cheerful countenance, play- ing her little hand against ,the glass, unconscious of her loss — the sight caused many a tear to flow.* Sir John Hervey had addressed a letter to Judge Sir jBrenton Halliburton of Nova Scotia, in the year 1849, re- questing information respecting the general character of the Duke of Kent, under whom he performed military service in Halifax, and who was consequently well known to him. The judge, in responding said, referring to the occasion of his assuming the command of the troops in Nova Scotia in 1'7!j4 : " At the time of his arrival the habits of the garrison were very dissipated. The dissipation was not, indeed, confined to the military ; the civil society partook of it largely. It was no unusual thing to see gentlemen join a company of ladies in a state of intoxication, which would now be deemed very disgraceful, but which was then merely laughed at by the ladies themselves. His Eoyal Highness at once discountenanced such conduct. Among the military he soon put an end to it by parading the troops every morning at five o'clock; and as he always attended himself, no officer could, of course, feel it a hardship to do so. The improvement which thus soon took place among the military gradually extended to their civil acquaintances; • Private letter from Riilinouth. SIR B. HALLIRUUTON ON TUB DUKE OP KENT. 191 do ■and His Royal lEighnoss thus bocamo instrumental in im- proving both. Gambling also prevailed to a groat extent, but His Royal Highness never touch 3d a card, and as the early parades compollod its former military votaries to retire early to bed, gambling, as wen as drinking, fell into disuse." " I must mention a circumstance which occurred at this (/ period, which interested many at the time. A very kind- hc.irtcd captain of a regiment had boon sent to Newfound- land to recruit. Ho was not well calculated for that service, and in the hands of an artful sergeant, had returned much in arrears to the paymaster. He was an amiable but easy- going man, and a few days after his return, he dined at a party where cards were introduced in the evening. Ho had never been in the habit of playing, but was easily prevailed upon to join the party ; and by one of those runs of good luck by which the tempter seduces novices, bore off all the money of the evening. It was a sum quite sufficient to relieve him from his difficulties. His great luck was the engrossing subject ot conversation throughout the following day. But of course, said the losers, McDonald will give ns a chance of winning our money back again, when we meet at Esten's on the next Thursday evening. Everybody Jcnew that Mr. McDonald would be easily persuaded to do so, and his friends feared he might become a confirmed gambler. His Royal Highness heard of it ; sent for him, and after conversing with him very seriously aud kindly, said : ' Mr. McDonald you have never been in the habit of playing ; ihebc gentlemen requested you to play, and if, by complying with their request, you have won their money, it is much better that they should bear the loss than that you, from a false notion of honor, should i-un the risk of acquiring a bad habit. I rcquostthat you will give me a positive pledge on honor that you will not again play at games of chance. McDonald did eo. The Prince made it public. Of :;il M If: 'IF 11 :f i i tit' <■ 19^ HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. course, after that no gentleman could solicit McDonald to play, and as be was not inclined himself to do so, he escaped the snare in which, had it not been for His Royal Highness' friendly interference, his good luck might ultimately have entangled him. Poor, kind-hearted McDonald! He fell a victim to the climate in the West Indies not long after- wards." " His Eoyal Highness' discipline was strict, almost to severity. I am sure he acted from principle, but i think he was somewhat mistaken in supposing such undeviating exactitude essential to good order. Off the parade he was an affable prince and polished gentleman. At his table every one felt at ease, but while it was evidently his object to make them so, his dignified manner precluded rhe possi- bility of any liberty being taken by the most forward." " I cannot close without mentioning his benevolence to the distressed. A talc of woealwaj's interested him deeply, and nothing but gross misconduct could ever induce him to abandon any whom he had once been induced to befriend, I have much pleasure in recalling these recollections of His Royal Highness, under whom I served for many years, and from whom I received very great kindness." As a friend to education the Duke rendered himself fam- ous. He was the first military commander who established regimental schools. He began with his OAvn regiment, the school connected with it being attended by two hundred and twenty pupils— children of the privates. It is impos- sible to estimate the amount of good of which his example in this respect has been productive. Di\ W. J. Anderson, President of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, has rendered a valuable sei-vice to litera- ture by the publication, in 1870, of the correspondence of the Duke with the de Salaberry family, extending from 1791 to 1814. A clear insight into the character of the Duke is obtained by a perusal of that correspondence, which was THE SALABKRnrES. 193 carried on in tho full confidence of private friendship, and evidently without the rcmotent idea of publication. Hence, as an index to character, tho letters are invaluable. Louis Ignaco do Salabeny was the son of Michel do Sala- berry, who arrived in Quebec in 1735, in command of the French frigate L'Anglesea, and who, on the cession of Canada, transferred his allegiance to Great Britain. Captain do Salabcrry brought up his son Louis to tho military pro- fession. Tho latter accordingly entered the British service, and took an active part in the American war, having been wounded several times in bravely discharging his duty as an officer. On tho conclusion of tho war do Salabcrry retired on a lioxitenant's pension, and on the arrival of the Duke of Kent, by some mutual affinity, they became more than ordinarily attached friends. Do Salabcrry Avas married, and had children in whoso society tho Duko took great delight. Subsequently, as tho boys grow up, his influence was dir- ected in advancing them in the military profession, and the voluminous corre .pondence between the Duke and tho father of the fimiily is highly creditable to tho head and heart of His Eoyal Highness — many of tho letters published by Dr. Anderson having been written from ILilifixx during the period of the Duke's residence there. We give one as a specimen : — " Halifax, 2nd July, 1796. ""My dear Mr. de Salabcrry, — As I intend to leave to- morrow to visit tho posts of Windsor and Annapolis, I did not intend to reply to your letter of tho twenty-eighth May till my return, but tho unexpected arrival of your son here, yesterday morning, in seventeen days from Dominica, offers me a most interesting opportunity which I cannot permit to pass without communicating tho news. " It appears that General Abercromby, not having received any other order in regard to your son, but that announcing his removal from the sixtieth to my regiment, judged it right 1 " m :|!'i| Ff'' 194 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA, to order him to report himself here witliout delay. In con- Bequonccho had no choice but to obey this order. My inten- tion now is to lot him remaiii with my regiment while await- ing the reply from London to the several letters which I have written to my brother, explaining to him that it would not be for the interest of our young protege now to exchange into my regiment. I imagine that the Juno packet, which we cxjiect at the end of the month, will enable us to speak decidedly of his position, and consequently to determine what will bo best for him to do. In any case be assured that whatever decision may be arrived at, his interests will not suffer. I shall wait a little, and bvo-and-byo write to my brother, who desires nothing more ardently than to do strict justice to overy officer, an 1 who will most cordially remedy any little thing that has gone wrong for the moment with your son. If lio has replaced him in the lieutenancy of the sixtieth, you may rest content under the firm assurance that nothing could have happened more for- tunately for your son than his having received from the Commander in-Chief in the West Indies the order to come hero. He is now in perfect health, though ho says he suffered much fi-om fever at Dominica. lie is tall, being, I think, nearly five feet eigl inches ; he is well formed, and his manners are very good ; LiO speaks English thoroughly, and writes I believe as well. Everybody gives him the best possible character in every respect, and your old friend Governor Hamilton of Dominica, in particular, has Avritten mo a letter very much to his credit, Avhich I believe you will be very much pleased to read, consequently I enclose it, but I beg of 30U to return it b}^ next mail. When I shall have returned from my journey I intend to write to General Prescott as soon as I shall know of his actual arrival at Quebec, and it will not be necessary f^rme, I believe, to repeat that it is my intention to write him most strongly as resj^ects yourself. LETTER OF THE DLKE OP KENT. 19fi Your son himself having written, I have nothing to add en the subject, but to pay thatsliould an opportunity present itself I shall avail myself of it to send him to you for eomo days during the coming summer. lie is now staying with us for want of better quarters ; this has given mo great pleasure, it having ofli'ered an opportunity to show attention to the son of those who were so kind and hospitable at Beaufort. I now beg you to present my compliments to ]\Iadam do Salaberry, and the rest of the family, but to Amelia in par- ticular. I am very sensible of the compliments of Abbd Lazellc, pray assure him of my esteem, as for yourself, I always, &c., Edward. " Madam St. Laurent has no time to write by this mail, being engaged in preparations for our journey : she proposes to make amends on our return. We propose to be absent nine or ten days." The three younger do Salabcrrys — Maurice, Louis and. Edward, died prematurely — the latter having fallen at the storming of Badajos, in the year 1812; On the day that he fell, he left the following note for the Duke of Kent : — " I am ordered to storm one of the breaches this evening. As the service is rather dangerous I beg leave to assure your Royal Highness, as well as Madame, that Avhatever may happen to me, I shall at every moment feel how much I »:n indebted to you. Believe me, sir, that my last moiients shall bo to wish you all the happiness which you, as well as Madame, eminently deserve." Wo have dwelt on the excellencies of the Duke — his manliness, his truthfulness, his courage, his kind-heartedness and his public spirit. Were there no defects in so fair a character? To say no, would bo to represent him as more than human. The only shade that dims the lustre of his memory was his connection with one whom ho mentions in almost all his letters to the de Salaberrys as 1m friend, and i :-■ B n 19G III8T0RV OP NOVA SCOTIA. who lived with him for a quarter of a century — rotiritijOf, on his marriage, to a convent— Madame de St. Laiu-cnl, Baronno Fortisson. The elder Salaberry was a finp character, lie lived till he had attained his seventy-sixth year, his wife having died foixr years before him. One of the sons, Colonel Charles de Salaberry attained to military distinction, his services, how- ever, were not sufficiently rewarded, lie died when ho was fifty-one years of ago. Amelia deSalabony, whom the Duke specially mentions, never married, and lived, as Dr. Anderson informs us, at the family mansion at Boauport to an advanced age, having died there in October, 18G1, "Her numerous friends" — says a notice which appeared in t'lo public press at the time of her decease — " were fascinated with the grace Avith which she received them, the interest and polish of her conversation, and with the simplicity of her manners. Her hand and heart were open as the day. Her kind words, and the prudent ad\ice and assistance, always accorded, rendered her espCv^ially dear to the poor." CHAPTEH Xr. Arris'al of Maroons in Halifax — Tlieir liintoiy — Cudjoe, Chief of tlio Maroons — Ilia ."uLniiseion to Britinh authority — Rebellion of the Maroons — Di'atli of Colonel Filch— Minnion of Colonel Qiiarrell to Havannah — Tlie Chasseurs del Rey and tLeirdoj^s — Sui render of tlie Maroons to General Walpole — Tlieir transportation to Halifax — They settle in Preston — Resolution of the Jamaica House of Assembly respecting the support ol the Maroons — Their letter to W. D. Quarrell — Their ^inoval to Sierra Leone — Their character — Ajipearance — Language — Social habits — Their return to Jamaica — The Administration of Sir John Wentworth — His hostility towards Collenham Tonge — He is superseded by Sir George Prevost as Lieutenant-Governor — Sir George takes a tour through the Province — Laying the foundation stone of the Province Building— Sir John Coape Sherbrooke succeeds as Lieutenant- Governor — Declaration of war between Great Britain and the L^nited States — Money voted by the Assembly for general defences — Captain Broke of the frigate Shannon — He sails from Halifax for Boston — Cliallenges the U. S. frigate C/tesapeake- -The con- test — Narrow escape of Captain Broke- Cap';.icol the Chesapeake, and death of Captain Laurence — Arr'val of the vessels at Hali- fax — Burial of Captain Laurence and the first lieutenant of the Chesapeake— Qapta'm Broke receives a baronetcy, and retires irom the service — His death — Opinion of the American Court of Investigation as to the causes of the capture ■■"the Chesapeake — Conclusion of the war by the Treaty of Ghent — Te"mination of the wur between France and Great Britain—Celebration of the event in Halifax — Governor Sherbrooke appointed Governor-in- Chief of the British North American Provinces — His departure — Is succeeded by the Earl of DaMiousic. In the year 1796, about five hundred Maroons arrived in Halifax, and having remained in the Province for four years, the introduction hero of a few facts respecting their history may not be deemed irrelevanL '■'■'i Hi ' i' i; ! ■- , 1 I- 198 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. On Jamaica being conquered by the English in the year 1655, most of the Spanish inhabitants removed to Cuba. Many of the slaves disinclined io leave the island fled to the woods, lived by plunder, and were designated Maroon or hog liuntei's. For some yeais they continued to harass the plan- ters in small parties, but subsequently the different bands xinited under a leader called Cudjoe — a man of gi-eat courage and saga3ity. Some years had now elapsed since Cudjoe had assumed command of the Maroons. All attempts to subdue them having failed, and as their depredations were becoming more and more daring and intolerable, it was determined to make a more systematic effort to conquer them. It was prudently resolved, however, by the Governor of the island before proceeding to extremities to offer them terras of peace. Colonel Guthrie of the Militia, and Captain Sadler of the Eegulars were accordingly deputed to open a communication with Cudjoe. The glens or recesses to which the Maroons had retired were called, in West Indian phrase, cockpits. The passages into these glens were extremely narrow. Ledges of rock, in which there wore numerous crevices, lined the defiles which affoi-ded protection to the Maroons, and completely screened them from the observation and fire of an attacking force. These glens or cockpits extended in a line, which enabled the negroes when driven from one to betake themselves to another, possibly more difficult of access. Colonel Guthrie having convoyed intelligence to Cudjoe of his approach, in order to propose terms of peace, advanced with a large force through a passage where his men might have been subjected to a galling fire, Avithout being able to return one effective shot, had the Maroons been disposed to prevent his approach. At length the smoke of the huts was seen, but none of the Maroons were visible, their proximity being only determined by the sound of their horns. When suflBci<;ntly near to their huts to be heard, INTERVIEW WITH THE MAROONS. 199 Colonel Guthrio called in a loud tone that he had come to treat of jieace and offar them fair and honorable terms. An answer was returned that the Maroons wished the same. Dr. EussoU then advanced, and was met by two Maroons, whom he asked if either of them was Cudjoe. They replied in the negative, but said that if he would stay a little while, and no soldiers followed him, Cudjoe would make his appear- ance. Several Maroons now approached and among them tlie renowned chief. He was of low stature, uncommonly stout, with strong African features, and a peculiar wildness in his manner. He had a hump on his back, which was partly covered with the tattered remains of a blue coat of which the skirts, and the sleeves beijw the elbow, were want- ing. He wore a pair of loose drawers that did not reach his knees, snd a small round hat without a rim. On his right side hung a coan^'s horn with powder, and a bag of cut slugs. Ho wore no shirt, and his clothes as well as that part of his skin that was exposed, were covered with the red dirt of the cockpits. His men were as dirty as himself— all having guns and cutlasses. In conversing with Dr. Eussoll, the chief of the Maroons kept his eyes on the soldiers in the distance, evidently fearing treachery. Dr. Eussell now pro- posed to change hats Avith him as a token of friendship, to which he consented, when Colonel Guthrio called aloud to him assuring him that the terms offered by Dr. Ru^scU would bo strictly adhered to. The Colonel and some of the officers now approached unarmed, when Cudjoe threw himself on the ground and asked pardon. A treaty was then concluded, by which it was provided that Captain Cudjoe and his officers and men should be in a state of freedom, that certain lands should belong to them, and thai in return for these advan- tages Cudjoe and his men should assist in operations for the suppression of rebellions in the island, or in repelling any attack which might be made by the King's enemies. For fifty years the i'aroons continued to live peaceably, i iJ >|! ' li ut 200 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. but in the year 1795, on various pretexts, they broke out in open rebellion. They complained that some of their people had been punished, by whipping administered by a slave, — that the land granted to them was worn out, and that a superintendent who was popular amongst them had been removed to give place to one Avho was incompetent. Negotiations for a settlement of the points in disjiute were opened, but failed in securing it. The Maroons retired to their ftistncsses, and war began. It was resolved to confine the Maroons in a circle and close in upon them, and opei-ations were being carried on for that purpose, under the command of Colonel Fitch. This gallant officer fell under a vollc}' from the Maroons, emanating from one of the ledges des- cribed, when looking out for a favorable situation for an advanced military post. Ilis death threw a gloom over the whole island, and led to forebodings respecting the issue of so singular a contest, in which many valuable lives had been already lost without any advantage resulting. But a casual conversation between a British ofacer and an intelligent Spaniard, led to the adoption of means by which the Avar was speedily terminated. Colonel Quarrell having been obliged to repair from the seat of war to the sea shore to recruit his health, met the gentleman referred to, who related the follow- ing incident. Some years ago when the British abandoned the Musquito shore to the Spaniards, the latter found the native Indians hostile. Thoy attempted in vain to take pos- session of the country by means of a military force. In the course of a few months they lost, from surprises afid ambushes, nearly three regiments, when they imported from Cuba th'rty-six dogs and twelve chasseurs, and by means of these they expelled the Indians from the territory. Colonel Quarrell lost no time in communicating with the Government of the island respecting a mode of attack, with the importance of which he was at once deeply impressed, proposing that a body of chasseui-s should be employed. The suggestion was THE SPANISH CHASSEURS. 201 of el adopted without hesitation, and the Colonel was commissioned to proceed to Ilavannah to purchase dogs, and procure the services of their trainers the Chasseurs. The dogs were so broken in that they did not kill the object of their pursuit unless resisted. On coming up to him they barked furiously till ho halted, and then crouched near him, barking till their keepers came up and secured their prisoner. In the event of resistance their ferocity was extreme, and the life of their victim was in imminent danger. The Colonel having suc- ceeded in his mission returned to Jamaica.* The report of the arrival of the dogs struck terror into the Maroons, but it was resolved before using them, to give them an opportuni- ty of treating for peace, of which they were glad to avail themselves. They accordingly sun*endered to General Wal- pole, who agreed to a secret article that they should not bo banished from the island. On learning that the transj)orta- tion of the Maroons was in contemplation, the General ex- postulated with Lord Balcarres on the subject, etating that if the terms of surrender were not honorably adhered to, he would resign his command. On the plea t'^-^t the Maroons *The Chasseurs and their dogs were employed in truvoising the coun- try for the purpose of pursuing and taking up all persons guilty of murder and other offences, in which they seldom failed of success, no activity on the part of the offenders being sufficient to elude their pursuit. An extraordinary instance occurred about a month before Colonel Quarrell arrived at Havannah. A fleet from Jamaica, under convoy to Great Britain, passing throughthe Gulf of Mexico, beatup on the north side of Cuba. One of the ships, manned with foreigners, chiefly renegade Spaniards, being a slow sailor, and consequently lag- ging astern, standing in with the land at night, was run on shore, the captain, officers, and the few British hands on board murdered, and the vessel plundered by the Spanish renegadoes. The part of the coast on which the vessel was stranded being wild and unfrequented, the assas- sins retired with their booty to the mountains, intending to penetrate through the woods to some remote settlement on the south side, where they hoped to secure themselves and elude all pursuit. Early intel- ligence of the crime had, however, been conveyed to Havannah, and the assassins were pursued by a detachment of twelve of the Chasseurs with their dogs. In a few days the assassins were all brought in and executed. fit i'^t? ' it Mi P.* ■1- 1 '■> 202 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. V. m had not strictly adhorod to tho terms, their transportation was determined on, and the General with a commendable Ronsoof honor, doeming- the grounds of departure from his solemn obligation insufficient, not only resigned his aj^point- mont, but refused a swoi'd voted to him by the Assembly in acknowledgment of his services. It was resolved to send the Maroons, to the number of about five hunt i id, to Halifax, there to await Ilis Majesty's orders, which might be expected in a fortnight after their arrival. During the passage they conducted themselves with the utmost propriety, and, on their arrival, were visited by Prince Edward, who expressed himself highly pleased with their appearance. The Prince suggested that, during theii' stay at Halifax, they should be lauded and employed in erecting fortifications on the citadel hill. The Maroons readily acceded to this proposal, and occupied wooden shan- ties and tents on the citadel gron.id. They were so lu'Jus- trious and well behaved that it was thought^ they might settle permanently in the Province, with advantage to them- selves nnd benefit to the country. The Home Government having approved the proposal, the township of Preston was allotted to them, to which, before the approach of winter, they removed.' A. Protestant minister was appointed to instruct them in religion, and a teacher to attend to the young. The winter was severe, and they suffered from cold, and having no employment for some months, they became discontented, and expressed the desire to I'emove to a warmer <;limate. On the return of spring, the Maroons were most reluctant to resume work, when they were told that if they persisted in refusing to work, all supplies would bo with- drawn. They therefore prudently yielded to necessity, and resumed labor. Hitherto tlio Assembly of Jamaica voted money for their support, and on application for a further sum, a Committee made the following report : "It appears to the Committee from the accounts of LETTER OF THE MAROONS TO W. D. QUARRELL. 203 William James Quarrell, Esquire, and from the information collected from the Receiver-General of this Island, that the sum of forty-one thousand pounds, granted at various times for the comfortable subsistence of the Maroons, will not be more than sufficient to defray the expenses incurred in that service previous to the twenty-second of JulV; 1791, and that a further grant will be necessary to make good the intention of the House to allow ten pounds sterling for the year ending on the twenty-second July, 1*798, for each man,woman and child." " The CojMnittee therefore recommend to the IIouso to grant the further sum of six thousand pounds sterling for that purpose, and to come to a final resolution not to make any other grants for the future support of the Maroons." The ensuing winter proved almost as rigorous as the previous. The fall of snow was very heavy, but the Maroons were housed, fed and kept warm, and had nothing to do but play cards. In the spring of 1799, the Commissary-General, who had accompanied them from Jamaica, and to whom they were much attached, left for the Island, where the following address was sent to him by the Maroons ; " To W. D. Quarrell, Esq., " Sir, — The Maroons hearing that you are shortly to leave the country, the undersigned for themselves and in behalf of the whole body, beg leave to assure you of their unfeigned sor- row for the necessity of your departure. They beg leave to assure you, in the sincorest terms of gratitude, of the kind regard they shall ever pay to your memory for the great care and attention you paid to all their wants and interests during the time you had the management of their affairs, and since that time for the very friendly asylum they always experi- enced at your home in Dartmouth, which rendered their fiituation as comfortable as could be for people in their unfortunate condition. They humbly bog you will lay before the House of Assembly, in Jamaica, their present mm ; s .. I: "'- Ml Ml tf'j. V, 1 ■ r; , i % '■ 204 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. distress, their contrition, and sorrow for their past offences to their much injured country, and aclcnowledge the justice of the sentence of banishment passed upon them, but they entreat the House of Assembly In the most suppliant terras, tliat they may be removed to some other country more congenial to people of their complexion. The length and sevei'ity of the two last winters have been such as almost to drive them to desjiair. They appeal to yourself and Dr. Oxley. who have been daily witnesses of their conduct, if they have not at all times behaved themselves in an honest, peaceable and orderly manner towards every one. It is likewise with extreme pain and mortifica- tion that they see immense expenses incurred with- out the least tendency to promote their happiness or comfort, of which they conceive the Government and Island are not sufficiently apprized. If the House of As- sembly will have the goodness to take this into consider- ation, they beg leave to assure them in the most solemn manner, they will be perfectly satisfied to live on half the allowance they at present enjoy and strenuously endeavor to provide for themselves within as short a tim.e as possible, build their own homes, and put the Island to as small an expense as possible. This they humbly conceive might bo accomplished for less monej' than the Island may be aware of by a sale of their property here. If the House of Assembly has the goodness to take compassion on their sufferings, they fervently hope yon will return to them. Having already experienced your kindness on all occasions, it would encoui*- age them to surmount every difficulty. God bless you. Sir ; wishing you a safe passage, and that you may live long and happy, is the sincere prayer of all the Maroons. " Signed by two colonels, a major, and five captains."* Governor Wentworth — now a baronet — and the people of Military rank retained by the Maroons after their surrender. THE UAROONS AV SIERRA LEONE. 205 ; iS iady |sir; and Nova Scotia were now desirous of getting quit of tha Maroons. From the Assembly of Jamaica no further sup- plies could be expected, and they were likely to become a serious burden tj the Province. The Home Government was of opinion that the Island was clearly bound in honor to relieve Nova Scotia of all pecuniary responsibility in regard to them, but the Assembly was resolute in the determination to ignore further responsibility. It was, therefore determined by the British Government to remove the Maroons to Sierra Leone. To that settlement a number of negro loyalists had been removed from Nova Scotia eight years previously, and proving so extremely turbulent as to endanger the existence of the colony, the Sierra Leone Com- pany, thinking that the importation of the Maroons would serve to keep them in check, consented to receive the Ma- roons on the condition that the expenses of their settle- ment should be borne by the British Government. They accordingly embarked in the autumn of the year 1800, and arrived in Sierra Leone in the month of October. On their arrival, what were called the Nova Scotia-blacks were in open rebellion. The Maroons proved ■' -uhful, and foi/ght so bravely in support of British Authority that the rebellion was speedily extinguished. The foUowini^ quotation from a report, made in the year 1 802, by a Committee of the House of Commons, throws light on the character of the Maroons after they left Nova Scotia: — "The Nova Scotians — (the colored immigrants)— are much awed by the Maroons, and look up to the Europeans for protection. The Maroons are active and intrepid, prodigal of their lives, confident of their strength, proud of the character of their body, and fond, though not jealous of their independ ence. They usually harbor a de- sire of going back at some period of their lives to Jamaica, and therefore may with more difficulty be induced, by prospects of future benefit, to labor for the improvement of their habi- tations or plantations. These circumstances render them a li ,<■ .. ■ 1.' • ttJl 206 HISTORY OP NOVA SOOTrA. ^^Pfi ' H'('''' K'- !li i.i! I peojile not easy to be govornod, and to bo brought into that Btato of society which would bo3t promote the civilization of Africa. The suppression of polygamy among them hau been hi 3rtr doomed an experiment too hazardous to be tried, and no fair opportunities have yet occurred of ascer- taining how far they will submit quietly to such restraints of the civil power as are most repugnant to their inclinations and habits. But there are favorable points in their char- acter. Though they do not desire instruction for themselves, they are glad to have it communicated to their children, who appear to possess very good capacities. They have no jealousy of Europeans ; on the contrary, they appear to be cordially attached to them, and wish to see an increase of the number of white colonists. They are generally disposed to labor for hire. Many of them have a great desire to acquire a knowledge of h^indicraft trades ; and some of them, who have turned their attention to such trades since their arrival at Sierra Leone, have become far more export workmen than could have been expected. This desire will probably be the stronger in their children, who will be brought up in habits very different from those which were formed and confirmed in their parents by their situation in Jamaica." We cannot quit this part of our subject without referring to the general character and social habits of this remarkable race. The person and port of the Maroons indicated a consciousness of superiority. Their eyes were peculiarly fiery and expressive, the white of them being a little reddened, probably by the smoke of their fires. By their horns they could call any one as if by name, and convey any number of signals. This need excite no surprise when we find telegraphic operations carried on in our day by sound, as accurately as if by written communication. Their language was a peculiar dialect of English mixed with African words, but they understood the English language sufficiently to receive instruction in it. They CUSTOMS OF THE MAROONS. 207 Pernng ivkable latcd a juUarly little their Iconvey |e when lay by mixed Snglish They had no particular form of worship, but like their forefathers believed that Aceompong was the God of heaven, tho creator of all things, and a God of ininiito goodness. Their marriages were attended with no religious or judi- cial ceremonies — simple consent of the v»oman to live with the man being sufficient ; plurality of wives was allowed, but few had more than two. When a man made a present to one of his wives he was bound to make a similar one to the others. Each wife lived in turn with her husband two days, and the children of the ditforcnt women were only noticed by tho father on tho days that tho respective mothers lived with him. "When tho Maroon was instructed in the doctrines of Christianity ho was informed, that as u Christian, he could only have on^^ i^\a This doctrine having been taught to a Maroon who had two wives, both of whom ho respected, if not loved, he reasoned thus, — " Top, massa governor," said he; "Top lilly bit; you say me mus forsake my wife. Only one of them. Which that one? Jesus Christ say so? Gar A'mighty say so ? No, no, massa ; Gar A'mighty good ; he toll somebody he mus forsake him wife and children. Somebody no wicked for forsake him wife ? No, massa; dis hei'O talk no do for me." In other language thus : — " Stay, sir ;" said the Maroon. " Stay a little. You tell me that I must forsake my Avife. Only one of them ; and which shall that be ? Does Jesus Christ say so? Does God say so? No, no, sir; God is good, and allows no one to forsake his wife and children. He who forsake* his wife must be a wicked man. This is a docti'ino, six', not suited to us." We may be permitted to say that in tho case of a man married to two wives, according to the usage of his country, and having a family by both, it is doubtful whether, in the •vent of his conversion to Christianity, it would be his duty to put one of them away against her will. Whilst the Christian law is clear and explicit as to marriage among 1% m i!|:i|Siii>| "■V': '■t; Hi! 4]' 208 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Christians, it is not so in reforonco to connections pre- viously formed ; and as in the case of a Christian man or woman united to one who is not a Christian, severance is not allowable except by mutual- consent, so in the case of a plurality of wives, it is not by any moans clear that a forced reparation is demanded by Christian principle. The reason- ing of the Maroon was perfectly natural, and it would be diflcult to ijrovo that it was not also scriptural. When a girl arrived at an age that she might marry, her parents made a feast — killing a hog — to which the neigh- bors were invited. This feast was a signal to the young men to make an offer of marriage, but the girl not unfr©- quently preferred a state of celibacy for a few years after she was known to have " killed hog " — a phrase, the meaning of which was pei-fectly understood. The Maroons continued to maintain the good character given them by the committee of the House of Commons, but their determination to return to Jamaica continued unabated. In the year 1836, they had increased to six hundred and eighty-one souls, and in the following five years they re- tiu'ned to Jamaica, leaving only in the year 1841 seventy of their number in Sierra Leone. During the administration of Sir John Wentworth, the Province prospered in all its principal interests, and ho seems to have discharged his duties with general fidelity and diligence. But his treatment of Mr. Collenham Tonge, a lawyer of more than ordinary ability, who took a prom- inent part in public affairs, indicated a vindictiveness of disposition which sadly marred his gubernatorial character. For a number of years he did not cease, in his despatches to the Home Government, to make charges against Mr. Tonge, who probably lived in perfect ignorance of their having been preferred, and who consequently had no opportunity of replying to them. He was represented as unduly pro- Irac ting the Session, as in his office as speaker opposing the ,,j:f^ 'f'lil!! OOLLBNHAM TONGB. 209 'Hi*^, king's interests, and of spreading discontent amongst His Mnjosty's subjocts. Tho charges wore of the most vague and general description, and unsupported by any kind of evidence. Little attention seems to have been paid to them by the Homo Authorities — tho bitterness and frequency with which they were preferred indicating a degree of personal hostility towards Ton^o, which must have divested them of all weight. On tho re-election of Tonge as speaker, in 1806, the Governor availed himself of a prerogative which had not boon previously exercised in the Province, by refusing to confirm the choice of tho Assembly, and r^nother speaker was accordingly elected. Tho efforts of the Governor to ruin Tonge as a public man proved futile, for his com- manding influence both in tho House and country remained undiminished. Sir John was an extreme conservative — a determined enemy to public meetings of any kind, and exerted himself to put them down. Notwithstanding his glaring failings he was respected, and on his being superceded in the year 1808, by Sir George Provost, as Lieutenant- Governor, the Assembly voted him five hundred pounds a year as retiring allowance, to which an other five hundred were added by the Home Government. On the arrival of Sir George Prevost, to assume the government of the Province, hostilities between the United States and Great Britain were imminent Sir George, in order to make himself acquainted with the condition of the Province made a tour through it, and on his return com- municated to the House of Ass'^mbly the result of his ob- servations. He stated that he found much on which to congratulate the Assembly, that he was now able fully to estimate the effects of the embargo laid by the United States government on trade, that the manner in which the restrictions on trade were carried out left no doubt as to the real object intended to be accomplished by them. The pro- ject had, however, entirely failed, and the British nation i*\'' m m \yi :■!.••■ I ■I 1 210 lirSTORT OF NOVA SCOTTA. ! I. J i, ■ had (lorivod sufficient oxporienco from the measuro, to bo convinced that thoir colonioH and commerce could bo as little atf'cctod by the embargo of America as by the blockading decrees of Franco. No\t sources hiul boon reported to with success to supply the deficiencies nroduced by so sudden an interruption to comnuircc, and the ^'reut incroase in the im- ports and exports of Nova Scotia j)rovod that the embargo was a measure well adapted to proi.ioto the true interests of i I is Majesty's North American colonies. Tho abundant crop of every kind with which it had pleased the Almighty to bless tho Province, tho improvement in agriculture and tho fisheries, and tho considerable supply of timber which had been sertt to the old country, tho augmentation of the revenue, and above all, tho groat sense which tho people of tho country entertained of tho happiness enjoyed under His Majesty's truly paternal government, afforded ;impld cause of congratulation, and presented unquestionable proofs of tho prosperity and rapid increase of the Province. It was under tho administrateon of Sir George Provost that the foundation stono of tho Province building was laid. On tho twelfth of August, 1811, the day on whioh this inter- esting ceremony took place, the birth day of the Prince of Wales was celebrated. At noon there was a review of the garrison, and at one o'clock a loveo at Government House. A body of militia assembled on the ground on whi'ih the Province building noAV stands — the Free Masons having turned out in force under thoir grand master, Mr. Pyke. After prayer by the Eov. Archibald Gray, D.D., the founda- tion stone was laid by Sir George Prevost ; coins, and a wi'itton document having been deposited in a cavity pre- pared for them — Sir George said: " May the building which shall arise from this foundation perpetuate tho loyalty and liberality of Nova Scotia." Sir George seems, however, to have been somewhat doubtful of the loyalty of the Province, for in addressing the Home Government, ho PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. 211 jid a pre- ding the lems, y of ho had oxprossod tho opinion, " that hor tioH to tho parent State wore thoHO of nocosHity and convonionco rather than of gratitiulo and allbction." No titatoinont could lio more unfouiulod. In all tho proceedings of AsHomijIy from tlio Hottlemont of tho Province down to tho period at whicli these linoH uro being traced, tho most conHoriouH critic will fail to diwcern tho bliglj v . evidence for the cluvrgo. Sir (Jeorge and his prede< und the AHHomhly jealous of its rigiits, and the opposition whicli was not unfrequently offered to tho ilccroosof Council, produced a degree of irrita- tion which led to unjust representations as to the motives and acts of tho Assembly. Sir Ciooi'ge liaving been appointed to tho Governorship of Canada, ho was succeeded in tho year 1811 by Sir John Coapo Shorbrooko, K.B., who arrived in Ilalifax on the sixteenth of October. In Juno following, war — for which active preparations had been making in the Pi-ovinco — was declared by tho United States. On the twontyoighth, intelligence of the declaration reached Halifax. In consequence of the war tho Assembly mot on the ,t^^ enty- first of July. Eight thousand pounds were voted for block- houses, twenty-two thousand for militia, and measures were also +aken to borrow thirty thousand pounds for general defences. Letters of marque, and commissions to privateers were granted by the Governor. Numerous caj^tures were made at sea both by tho British and American private rs, not a few of the prizes of the former having been brougiit to Ilalifax, where trade was temporarily increased by tho war. In the contests that tool: place between individual ships, the Americans, as a rule, had tho advantage, as their vessels generally carried heavier metal, and were more numerously manned. The Americans were elated with their success while the British wore annoyed. Captain Broke, who had been trained in the navy from boyhood, had been appointed to the command of the frigate Shannon '■ W wm ! !''H 212 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. of thirty-eight gUD j, in the year 1806. She had heen first Bent for the protection of the whale fishery on the Green- land and Spitzbergen coasts, and was subsequently engaged in the reduction of Madeira. For some time after she had been connected with the channel fleet, from which, in the vcar 1811, she was detached on North American service. The feelings of Captain E.oke, at this time, were pertinently expressed in a letter to his wife, in which he said : " We must catch one of these great American ships to send her borne for a show that people may see what a creature it is, And that our frigates have fought very well though so unlucky." Ever since the gallant captain had joined the Shannon, he was resolved, by assiduous gun practice, to make up, in the event of a naval duel with a more powerful antagoniet, for weight of metal by rapidity and accuracy of fire. Every day for :ibout an hour and a half in the fore- noon, when not prevented by the state of the weather, tho men were exercised at the guns, and for the same time in the afternoon in the use of the bx*oad sword, pik", muskot, &c. Twice a week the cre^y fired at targets, both with great guns and musketry, and Captain Broke, as an additional stimulus, gave a pound of tobacco to every man who put a ■hot through the bull's eye. In the Shannon there was a place for everything and everything in its place — a post ft : every man and every man at his post. She waa alwaj's clear for action, and had on deck a sufficient quantity of ammunition for two or three broadsides. Her captain bad brought the officers and crew to the highest point of twin- ing, and had infused into them a portion of the liquid fire of bis own enthusiasm. On the twenty-first day of March, 1813, the Shannon sailed from Halifax, accompanied by a sister frigate the Tenedos, on a cruise to Boston bay. Eeconnoitering the harbor they saw two frigates, the President and Congress, making ready for sea. Measures were taken to intercept them ; but in the THE CHI8APEAKE TO THE SHANNON. 213 lal a a of meantime the Chesapeake, which had left Boston in Decem- ber of the previous year, and been cruising in tho "West Indies, returned, and unobserved entered the harbor much to the annoyance of Captain Broke; and to add to his chagrin the President and Congress escaped, on the first of May to sea, the weather then being foggy. As the Chesapeake could not be expected to put to sea while two frigates were near tho barber, Captain Broke, after taking a supply of water and provisions fro! « the Tenedos, detached her with orders not to rejoin him till the fourteenth of June. After the Tenedos loft, Captain Broke sent several verbal messages to the Chesapeake inviting a combat, to which he received no reply. Doubting whether his messages had been delivered, he wrote, on the first of June, a challenge to the commahuing officer of the Chesa- peake, in which he said: "As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favor to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags. The Shannon mounts twenty-four guns on her broadside, and light boat guns, eighteen-pounders, upon hor main deck, and thirty-two-pound cannonades on her quarter-deck and forecastle, and is manned with a comple- ment of three hundred men and boys, besides thirty seamen, boys, and passengers who were taken out of re-captured vessels lately." After fixing the place of meeting, and providing against all interruption. Captain Broke concluded thus : " I entreat you, sir, not to imar ■"ne that I am urged by mere personal vanity to the wish of meeting the Chesa- peake, or that I depend only on your personal ambition for your acceding to this invitation. We have both noble mo- tives. You will feel it as a compliment if I say that the result of our meeting may be the most grateful service I can render to my country, and I doubt not that you, equally confident of success, will feel convinced that it is only by repeated triumphs in even combats that yc^xr little navy can h 214 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. now hope to console your country for the loss of that ti-ade it can no longer protect. Favor me with a speedy reply. We are short of provisions and water, and cannot stay long here." This letter was sent by a Captain Slocum, a discharged prisoner, who was proceeding in his own boat to Marblehead, a port a few miles north of Boston, but before it had reached the Chesapeake she had sailed to meet the Shantion. The captain of the Chesapeake had got leave of absence, and she was now commanded by Captain Laurence, late of the Hor- net, which in the month of February had sunk the Peacock, a British war sloop far inferior to the Hornet in weight of metal and crew. Captain Laurence was an able officer, and deservedly held in high estimation by his countrymen. After despatching the challenge, the Shannon, with colors flying, stood in close to Boston lighthouse, inviting by her presence the Chesapeake to come out. At half-past twelve o'clock, while the crew were at dinner, Captain Broke went himself to the mast head, and there observed the Chesapea^" fire a gun and loose toj^-gallant sails. The stately frig! ^e presently advanced with a light breeze, rounding the light house under all sail at one o'clock. She was accompanied by a number of pleasure boats, filled by Americans, who were desii-ous of seeing the combat. The two ships con- tinued their course to sea till forty minutes past five o'clock, when the Chesapeake bore down on the Shannon, luffing up within fifty yards of her, when the American crew gave thi-ee cheers. At fifty minutes past five the first shot was fired by the Shannon, and then the exchange of broadsides became as rapid as the men could fire. Owing to the men at the helm of the Chesapeake having been killed, she had for a moment become unmanageable, and her stern and quarter were ': rposed to her opponent's broadside. Her Btern posts were thus bent in, and the men driven from their quarters. Presently the ships neared each other — tho THE COMBAT. 215 quarter of the Chesapeake pressing on the Shannon's side. Captain Broke, observing that the Americans were desert- ing their quarter-deck guns, orc'ered the great guns to cease firing, and the main-deck boarders to advance. He himself then leaped on the quarter-deck, the boarders following. There was not an officer or a man for the moment to oppose him. His boarders then advanced towards the forecastle, driving twenty or thirty of the crew before them, who en- deavored to get down the hatchway, but in their eagerness prevented each other. Severn! went overboard, and others reached the main deck throusrh the bridle-ports, while the rest laid down their arms and surrendered. After the Americans on the forecastle had submitted, Captain Broke ordered one of his men to stand sentry over *them. He was giving orders to answer the fire from the Chesapeake's main top whjn the sentry called to him. On turning round he found himself confronted by three Americans who were advancing to attack him. He success- fully parried the thrust of a pike and wounded the man in the face, but received a blow from the but-end of a musket which bared his skull, whilst the third man cut him down with his broadsword, but ona of the Shannon seamen at once killed the man with the broadsword, and the other two Americans soon fell under the cutlasses of the British tars. As the attack on Captain Broke 'vas made by men who had surrendered, the Shannon board rs were so exas- perated that Captain Brolce had great difficulty in saving fi'om their fury a young midshipman who had slid down a rope from the Chesapeake's fore-top and begged his proteo- tion. As the seaman Windham was tying a handkerchief round Caj)tain Broke's head, pointing aft, he called out — " There, Sir, there goes the old ensign over the Yankee colours." The Captain cast his eyes to the ensign with feelings which it were vain to attempt to describe. The first Lieutenant of the Shannon lost his life under M 216 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. peculiarly painful circumstances. He had taken down the American ensign, and was putting up the English flag above it, when in consequence of the ropes being tangled, the American flag appeared above • the English, which caused shots from the Shannon to be fired, killing the Lieutenant and four or five seamen of the Shannon. Captain Laurence fell mortally wounded a few minutes after the battle began. Of a crew of three hundred and eighty-one men and five boys, the Chesapeake lost forty- seven killed and ninety-nine wounded. Of a crew of three hundred and six men and twenty-five boys, the Shannon Ead twenty-four killed and fiftj'-nine wounded. The ChesOr peake had not only the misfortune to lose her Commander, but also her first, second, and third Lieutenants. This calamity left the ship at a most critical moment without proper command. Had Laurence not been prostrated, it is more than probable that Broke would not have found the men deserting their quarters, and whatever the issue might have been, the Chesapeake would not have been so speedily captured. The crew of the Shannon had the advantage of the most thorough training under a commander who was an enthusiast in his profession. The call of Captain Broke for boarders was responded to with the utmost celerity and precision, and four minutes after he had gained the quarter^ deck of the Chesapeake he was master of her. Eegarded as a test of the comparative national merits of British and American sailors either as to their skill or courage, the combat was not worth anything. Had the crew of Captain Laurence enjoyed the same advantages is training, they would have been quite as eflficient in all respects, as they were as brave as that of the Shannon. AnierJ.cans have always proved themselves in natural courage equal to Bri- tons, and it were futile to strike a balance as to the respective fighting qualities of both nations from any single battle on land, or engagement at sea. H- BURIAL OF CAPTAIN LAURENCE. 2X1 •1- Aftcr tho damage done to the rigging of both frigates had been repaired, they sailed for Halifax, where they arrived on Sunday, the sixth of June, passing along the wharves at half-past three o'clock in the afternoon. Citizens are now living who well remember the occasion. The ships were received with much cheering from the. inhabitants, and the crews of the men-of-war lying in the harbor. The brave and able Captain Laurence had died on the passage, and Cajitain Broke lay in a state of severe suffering from his wounds, but was immediately removed to the house of the Commissioner, Captain the Honorable Phillip Woodhouse. The late captain of the Chesapeake was buried in the ground opposite Government House on the eighth of June, with the military honors of a post captain in the British navy. At the funeral all the naval captains in port were present, and there was also a large attendance of citizens. Tho first Lieutenant of the Chesapeake died in Halifax of his wounds, and was also interred with military honors. In August the remains of both the gallant officei's were remov- ed to Boston to be deposited with suitable ceremony in their own country. Captain Broke was made a baronet, and a number of the oflScers of the Shannon received promotion. The captain retired to his estate in England, and lived to enjoy his well- earned honors till the year 1841, when ho died in a hotel in London, whither he had gone for medical advice. His name will remain for ever enrolled among the naval heroes of old England. The American naval authorities held a court to investigate the circumstances under which the Chesapeake had been captured. Commodore Bainbridge presided. We give a portion of the report : — " The court are unanimously of opinion that the Chesapeake was gallantly carried into action by her late brave commander ; and no doubt rests with the court, from comparison of the injury respectively sustained |i \h\ ,\" ■V ' I ■fl t^t i :| 218 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. by the frigates, that the fire of the Chesapeake was much superior to that of the S'lannon. The Shannon being much cut in her spars and rigging, and receiving many shots in and below the water line, was reduced almost to a sinking state, after only a few minutes cannonading from the Chesa- peake ; whilst tho' Chesapeake was comparatively uninjured. And the court have no doubt, if the Chesapeake had not accidentally fallen on board the Shannoii, and the Shannon's anchor got foul in the after quarter of the Chesapeake, the /SAannon must have very soon surrendered or sunk." The report continues: — " From this view of the engagement, and a careful examination of the evidence, the court are unani- mously of opinion, that the capture of tho late United States frigate Chesapeake was occasioned by the following causes : the almost unexampled early fall of Captain Laurence, and all the principal officers ; the bugleman's desertion of his quarters, and inability to sound his horn ; for tho court are of opinion if the horn had been sounded when first ordered, the men being then at their quarters, the boarders would have promptly repaired to the spar deck, and probably have pre- vented the enemy from boarding, which might have been done successfully, it is believed, from the cautious manner in which the enemy came on board." The skill displayed in firing may be safely estimated by the amount of execution done in both ships during the fifteen minutes the engagement lasted — the armament of both ships having been equal. During that period one hundred and fifty-six of the Chesapeake's men were prostrated, whilst only eighty-three men were in a similar condition on the ' Shannon ; and it is absolutely ludicrous to assert that the British boarded cautiously, the fact being that their onset was furious, and such as drove the few resisting Americana like withered leaves before an autumnal blast. The year 1816 was memorable as that in which the great war with France was concluded by the defeat of I^apoleonat PEACE PROCLAIMED, 219 Waterloo, and the most unnatural contest between Great Britain and the United States was terminated by a treaty of peace executed at Ghent on the twenty-fourth December, 1815. The news as to the defeat of Napoleon arrived in Halifax in July — full details having been received on the third of August. The event was celebrated by a public dinner in the Mason Hall, the Attorney-General, K. J. Uiiiacke, in the chair, James Forman being Vice-President. A subscription list in aid of the families of those who had fallen ir. battle was opened, which amounted to the very handsome sum of three thousand eight hundred pounds, be- sides what was contributed by the other counties. The Assembly testified their appreciation of the labors of Sir John C. Sherbrooke, the Lieutenant-Governor, during the war, by voting one thousand pounds for a piece of plate, with which his Excellency was presented. In the year 1816, Sir John was appointed Governor-in-chief of all the British American Provinces, and was entertained at a dinner by the magistrates and principal inhabitants in Mason Hall ere he departed. He remained in his' new position for two years, and then went to England, where he died on the fourteenth of February, 1830. The administration of the Province was entrusted to Major-General George Stracey Smyth, till the arrival of the Earl of Dalhousie in October. ! >^m CHAPTEB XII. ! I r 1 ^ 13 » Lord Dalhonaie's speech to the Legislature — The letters of " Agricola " Congratulation of the author by Lord Dalhousie — "Agricola" ia appointed Secretary to the Provincial Agricultural Association — la solicited to disclose himself— His reasons for writing under an assumed name— First meeting of the Agricultural Society- Mr. John Young reveals himself a^ the author of the letters— A sketch of his life — His character — Mr. Elkington's system of drainage — Smith's system — Acts passed by the British Parlia- ment respecting drainage — Drainage in Great Britain— Establish- ment of schools by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts— Project for the establishment of a public semin- ary in the Province — Opening of King's College— Its exclusive- ness — Establishment of Pictou Academy — Lord Dalhousie founds Dalhousie College — Aid denied from the British Legislature- Proposed union of the colleges — Basis of union — Opinion of Lord Dalhousie in reference to it — Its rejection by the Archbishop of Canterbury— Opinion of the Colonial Secretary with regard to union — Walter Bromlay — He establishes schools in Halifax- Inaugurates Sabbath School work in the Province — Present system of road management — Lord Dalhousie suggests a survey of the Province— Indifference of the House on this subject- Presentation by the Assembly of a star and sword to Lord Dal- housie on his assuming the Governor Generalship of Canada- He declines to accept them — He revisits Nova Scotia- His recep- tion in Halifax. • Lord Dalhousie, in addressing the Legislature, congratu- lated the members in occupying the splendid building in which they were now assembled, and expressed the hopo that it would stand to the latest posterity, as a proud record of the public spirit of this period of the history of Nova Scotia, — being equally honorable and useful to the Province. His Lordship also referred to the prosperous condition of the Province. The distress that had prevailed two LETTERS OP AQRICOLA. 221 years ago had disappeared, agriculture and the fisheries were proHporing, and successive years of abundant crops had, un- der the blessing of Providence, dispelled the clouds that hung over the country, and commerce was reviving under the influence of an order of the Prince Regent in council by which the port of Halifax had been declared to a certain extent a free port. " In committing to you, " said his Lord- Hhip, "the general discussion of public r.ffairs, there are some points which call for my special recommendation to your attention ; these I shall merely name at present, and explain myself more fully upon them in the progress of the session. I shall call your attention to a measure tending to animate the general spirit of improvement in agriculture, and 1 will submit to you the plan of an institution in Halifax, in which the advantages of a collegiate education will be found within the reach of all classes of society, and which will be open to all sects of religious persuasion." On the fifteenth of July, 1818, appeared in the Acadian Eecorder, the first of a series of letters on agriculture, under the signature of Agricola, which from the vigour and scholas- tic character of their style, as well as from the important scientific information they conveyed, at once attracted pub- lic attention, and not only excited general interest, but inspired enthusiaem in regard to the subject of which they treated. At the time these letters were commenced, gene- ral business was depressed, and the farmers, who had been accustomed to receive high prices for produce of all kinds during the war, had now to dispose of it at a nominal rate. The social status of the cultivators of the soil was such as would be regarded incredible were it not vouched for by so respectable an authority as Agricola, who says that " the cultivation of the earth, that prime fountain of national wealth, and the first and most essential of arts was account- ed so despicabL and vile as to be the fit employment only of the unlettered and vulgar herd, — the keeper of a tavern m '# m I 222 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 1 < 1 I' 1,, • ■' 1^ ■ 1 ri I '^If .iii.:.;ity or tippling house, the rotailci* of rum, sugar and tea, the travelling chapman, the constable of the district, were far more important personages, whether in their own estima- tion or that of the public, than the farmer who cultivated his own lands." The letters at once assumed a practical bearing. The very first of them recommended the forma- tion of an agricultural society in every county for the adjudging of prizes on subjects previously announced in the public newspapers. Agricola likewise invited correspon- dence on subjects connected with practical farming — an appeal that was more rcadiV- responded to than could have been anticipated, enabling him to impart additional inter- est to his communications by attaching to them the senti- ments of his correspondents. The work which Agricola set himself to perform consisted of three parts, — first, to treat of the principles of vegetation and tillage ; second, the management of live stock, and third, the miscellaneous matters connected with agriculture tending either to further or retard its progress. The volume treats of the first of these under five sections — the first on climate, the second on the purposes which soil serves in the growtli of plants, the third on the use of the different agricultural implements in preparing the ground for vegetable productions, the fourth on manures, and the fifth on the obstructions to successful tillage. There was genius indicated in the arrangement of the subject, and in point of execution, whilst works exist written by men who have made the topics of which they treat sub- jects of special study, displaying greater depth of knowledge, and a more rigidly concise and accurate style, yet we ques- tion whether within the range of English literature any book on agriculture exists in which so great a variety of scientific knowledge is united with the same degree of literary merit, and which so completely answered the end for which it was published. There are Junius — like touches in the letters of .^u PL'BLIC 3IEETIN0 ABOUT AaRICULTUBE. 223 *!.? Agricolft, wliieh arc rarely met with even in the best authors, and which wouUl have done credit to an Addiiion or a Macauley, and have all the i lO.-o merit as coming from a merchant who wrote only during ''is leisure hours. The intelligence of the Proviaco was arrested by these lucid and practically useful comuiuni nations, and within a year after the publication of the first of them agricultural (societies were formed throughout the Province. Lord Dal- housio was delighted with the productions of the unknown correspondent, and wi'ote him a letter encouraging him to pursue the patriotic course on which he had entered. " While I thus continued to write, "says Agricola " and he — the Governor — to approve, the first chai-actere in rank in the Metropolis did not stand long by as idle spectators, but touched with the lambent flame of patriotism, they hastened within their respective spheres of influence to scatter and propagate that sacred fire which soon burst out with irre- pressible and unextinguishable brightness." At the dinner of the North British Society in November 1818, theEai'l proposed the health of " Agricola, a gentleman who, though unknown to him, he was certain from his wi'it- ings deserved the appellation of a scholar and a patriot, and whose exertions in the cause of the prosperity of the coun- try called forth the esteem of every friend to its welfare." lie trusted a central Board of Agriculture would be formed in the Province, and that the day they were now celebrat- ing — St. Andrew's — would bo further distinguished as that on which such an institution was first jiroposed to be estab- lished. On the twelfth of December Agricola announced that a public meeting would be held on the following Tuesday, at which Lord Dalhousio would preside for the purpose of forming a central society of agriculture. His Lordship in opening the proceedings said that his acknowledgments were due to Agricola for the impulse he had imparted to the . m '^^ M ;i*'' : II •224 iiisTony OP NOVA scotia. gonorul onorgios of tiie rrovinco, but as it wn.« 6xfromoty probable Agricoln WHS prosonl ho Hl.oukl iilwtain froiM fixproMs- ing bi« full Hontinionts of approbation, as bo wishod noitbor to flatter nor oft'eud him, Jlr. S. G. W. Archibald then moved n resolution to the effect that a society to be called the Provincial Agricultural Society should b* formed in Halifax, which was agreed to, Tlie noble Chairman proi)osed Agricola as Secretary, and the Hon. Brenton Halliburton consented to act in that capa- city till the unknown author revealed liimsclf Agricola was present at this meotijig, and wo will allow liim to des- cribe his feelings in so novel a position, as well as to convoy most interesting information as to circumstances which must ever continue to be invested with deep interest. •" About this period— he says—'' I was solicited on ail hands 'to disclose myself, and appear before the public in my real ji uf Lord Dalhousie — Sir John C. Shorbrookc — an act of incorporation was obtained by the trustees, but when the bill, which had passed in the House of Assembly, came to be submitted for approval to the Council, they im sorted a clause which provided that the trustees and teachers should be members of the English, or Presbyterian church, which was tantamount to making the institution cntirdy dependent for support on the Presbyterians, Avhich then had only about twenty congregations in the entire Province. The trustees, being energetic men, succeeded in raising one thousand pounds for the erection of a building, which was afterwards known as the Pictou Academy. Application was then made to the House of Assembly for permanent aid, which was granted without almosc any opposition ; but the Council, whilst voting a certain sum from year to year, re- fused to make it permanent. Thus the question continued to come up yeai'ly with invariably the same result, the Assem- bly's decision as to permanency being rejected by the Coun- cil. In the meantime Dr. McCulloch foiight manfliUy for the Academy, and conducted it with spirit and efficiency. " During the whole time of his continuance with the Aca- Q 238 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. domy," NVTitos the Eov. Goorgo Puttorson, of Pictou, " ho taught logic, moral j^hilosophy and natural philosophy, thoro being only one other professor who taught the classics and mathematics. Diverse as the branches wore whic'i ho taught, he tauglit them all. I have since had an opportunity of knowing something of the professors of Edinburgh Uni- versity, but never till I saw them did I know the real greatness of Dr. McCulloch. There wore men there who, in a particular department to which they had chiefly directed their attention, would have doubtle.ss excelled him, such a« Hamilton in metaphysics, &c., but there was no man in that University who could have made the same appearance in all the branches taught. Ho was, in fact, a perfect Senatus Academicus. Ho could have taken any branch included in the Faculty of Arts and Theoloi;fy, and even some reckoned under the Faculty of Medicine, such as chemistry and natural history, and taught them in a respectable and efficient man- ner. You may think this exaggeration from the partiality of an old pupil, but Dr. Dnwson of McGill College, expressed to me some years ago in Edinburgh, the same views. I may add that his intellect was of that peculiar clearness that whatever he know, he knew accurately and distinctly. It was impossible for him to bo obscure." In the year 1811, an Act was passed to establish grammar schools in Sydney, Cumberland, King's, Queen's, Lunen- burg, Annapolis ar "^'•iburne counties, and in the districts of Colchester, ^ A Yarmouth. The teacher was to receive a b- /unds from the treasury, and hia assist- ant fifty pt in cases where the number of scholars was over thirty. An Act was also passed granting aid to com- mon Echools, providing for the payment of one hundred dollars in any settlement of not less than thirty families, and in which two hundred dollars were raised by assessment for echool purposes. The F,pvl of Dalhousie on his arrival in the Province made DALIIOUSIE COLLEGE. 239 himself ftcquaintod with tho iawH by which Windsor Collogo Avas regulated, and disapproving of the unwise rostrictions imposed, resolved to found a college in Halifax on tho prin- ciple of tho Scottish Universities, whore young men of all denominations might have the benefits of a good education. During tho American war, Castine, in the State of Maine, hatl boon captured by the British forces and hold for a con- siderable time. The revenue derived, in consequence, from duties had amounted, after paying expenses, to ion. thousand eovon hundred and fifty pounds. Of this sum the 3<]arl pro- posed that one thousand pounds should bo set apart for a garrison library, that throo thousand should be applied ia building a college, leaving six thousand seven hundred and llfty pounds for tho endowment of tho college. As trustees he proposed the Lieutenant-Governor, the Cliici' Justice, tho Bishop of Nova Scotia, the Spcakor of the House of Assem- bly, the Provincial Treasurer, and tho minister of tho Scot- tish Church in Halifax. The iwoposilion was approved by the Prince Ecgent, and the House of Assembly voted sums at different times to the aggregate amount of three thousand pounds for the erection of the building, and five thousand pounds as a loan to aid tho college. After the building was finished, about eight thousand pounds remained for invest- ment on interest. Before the institution could be i>ut in active operation, Lord Dalhousie had left to assume the Gov- ernorship of Lower Canada. The governors of the rival colleges, impressed with the convictiou that both could not prosper separately, resob ed to take measures for effecting a union. A conference was accordingly held, consisting on tho one hand of the governors of King's College, and on tho other, as representatives of Dalhousie College, of S. G. W. Archibald, Speaker of the Assembly, and the Hon. Michael Wallace, the Treasurer of the Province. These gentlemen accordingly prepared a report in which the basis of union was embodied. Tho new college was to be in Halifax, and •■m 240 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. designated, " The United Colleges of King's and Dalhousie." The governors were to be the same as those of King's Col- lege, with the addition of the Treasurer of the Province. The Patron was to be the Archbishop of Canterbury ; the college to consist of three or more Fellows ; three or more public professors, and twelve or more scholars. The internal government of the college was to be vested in the President and Fellows exclusively. The President was to be a clergy- men of the Church of England in full orders, and must have taken the degree of Master of Arts, or Bachelor in Civil Law in the regular manner in Oxford, Cambridge, Dublin, or King's and DalhousiC. The public professors were to be chosen by the governors upon satisfactory proof of sufficient qualification, without respect to their country or university. There was to be an entire union of the lands, monies and funds of the two colleges, and all bequests and donations waich heretofore had been made or given to either of the said colleges, was to become the property of the united col- leges. Such were the leading conditions on which the proposed union was to be effected. They were forwarded to Lord Dalhousie, who, on a delibei ate consideration of them, wrote a letter to Sir James Kempt, the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, which completely neutralized insimiations which were too widely circiilated that in founding a new college he was hostile to King's College, and ambitious to have his name permanently associated with a colonial seat of learning. " I have alwayn," he wrote, " declared it my sole object in the foundation of the Halifax college to obtain education to all classes in Nova Scotia and adjoining Pro- vinces, but particularly those r,hat are excluded from King's College, Windsor, by the rules of that institution. By the proposal of the paper I havo now received, T think my ob- ject is obtained as fully as could be desired. The removal of the institution to Halifax, open lectures in college, in- PROPOSED UNION OP COLLKQES. 241 struction and honors — with tho exception of church degrees — free to dissenters of all classes, are the advantages that were looked for by a college at Halifax ; and I am , truly happy to learn that these are not considered to be altogether incon- sistent with the primary object of King's College. The government of the college cannot be placed more advan- tageously than in the handp of the governors, pati'on and visitor of King's. The constitution and internal government are equally unexceptionable, provided that the toleration contemplated in that of Halifax be secured. If these proposals shall be finally approved, I think the very character and name of Dalhousio College should at once be lost in that of the other, so that the style of King's College should alone be known and looked up to." Tho draft of a bill embodying the agreement to which tho joint commitee had come, was prepared by the Attorney- General, and approved by Lord Dalhousie. Copies of the draft were sent to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and the Archbishop of Canterbuiy. Tho latter disapproved of the union, and Br. Inglis, having obtained liberal contri- butions in England towards the support of the college, its governors became cool in the matter of union, so that no further steps were at that time taken to effect its consum- mation. * Four years afterwards tho question of union came to bo discussed, in consequence of debates occurring in the House of Assembly on a proposal to make the yeai'ly grant of five hundred pounds to the Pictou Academy permanent like that of the college of "Windsor. It was also proposed, by certain parties, to withdraw the five thousand pounds voted as a loan to Dalhousie College, and tho Secretary of State for the Colonies was perplexed by petitions and repx-esentations made by tho contending factions. The most satisfactory solution of tho difficulty which occurred to the Homo ■Government \:aa the union of the two colleges — one first- ii:! I i ^ i 242 HISTORY 01" NOVA SCOTIA. rate educational institution being deemed quite sufficient for a Province with so limited a population. Such was the opinion of Sir George Murray, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in 1829, and such was the opinion of Lord Goderich, who succeeded him, and who, in opposition to the views of not a few Nova Scotians, regarded the Assembly as alone com- petent to deside as to the consty;ution of the United Colleges. He th"g wi'ote in reply to an application for the continuance of the grant of one thoixsand pounds to King's College, which waH threatened to be withdrawn : " Had the resources available for the support of the college at Windsor been such as to admit of its being carried on as at present, I should ccrl ainly have abstained from recommending any change, but as this is not the case, as it must necessarily bo dependent on the liberality of the Legislature, I think it is unfortunate that the governors have declared beforehand their intention of not agreeing to a union with Dalhousie College, except upon terms to which it is not probable that the assent of the Legislature would be given. Sujjposing it to be admitted that it would be desirable, if possible, to have a college constituted in the manner proposed by the Boaixi of Governors, still, when the means do not exist of giving effect to their wishes in this respect ; when the exis" tence of any college whatever depends upon their own Tiotions of what would be most advisable, being in some particulars departed from, it appears to me that such a con- cetision should be made. As, therefore, it is impossible that a college should be established without the assistance of the •Legislature, I should hope that the Governors of the two escist- ing institutions would consent to leave to the Legislature — wliich can best judge of what is required for the interest of the Province — the task of determining what is to be the constitution of the new establishment. On the other hand, I cannot doubt but the Assembly, if their discretion on this point was left unfettered, would see the advantage of making WALTER BROMLEY. 243 tho laad, this iking ample provision for the support of a place of liberal educa- tion ; and would likewise consent to the appointment of those who will lose the situations they hold in the college at Windsor to similar situations in that which, I trust, will be created." These suggestions were not, however, ap- proved by the Governors of King's College. It is to be regretted that the proposed union had not been effected. King's College has done good service to the Province, but the question as to whether Nova Scotia can adequately maintain two colleges is not one which admits of discussion. Every student can testify that he learns quite as much from his fellow-students as from his profes- sional teachers. Hence the importance of large classes, where a great variety of ideas is interchanged, and a spirit of emulation fostered. It may be truly said that as iron sharpeneth iron so does the intellect of a man that of his friend. The writer may be permitted to express the hope that the courtship between King's and Dalhousie may be speedily renewed, and a happy union consummated. Any recoi-d of educational movements in the Province which did not contain an allusion to the labors of Mr. Wal- ter Bromley would be extremely deficient — a gentleman who proved himself a most persevering, laborious, and emi- nently successful teacher. Mr. Bromley established in Halifax a school in July, 1813, on Lancaster's system, in which reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and geogra- phy were efficiently taught. Girls were taught every kind of needle-work, and a room was fitted up for the purpose of training them in the arts of carding and spinning wool, and of dressing and spinning flax. W^ith this energetic teacher there was no day of rest, for he was the first to begin Sab- bath School work in the Province, which he personally superintended, and which proved so successful that tho people of Pictou founded a Sabbath School in the year 1817, and in March, 1822, formed a society for the promulgation nrr 244 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I- .?» of tho system in the eastern part of the Province. In a year after the formation of tho society twenty-nine Sabbp.th Schools were in operation, in which about a thousand young persons received instruction. ■ Deeming the system of Provincial road management de- fective, Lord Dalhousie proposed improvements in a message to the House. He desired to see tho management central- ized, disapproving of a large number of commissioners. Ho wished tho law, by which no one commissioner should have the disposal of more than five hundred pounds of road money, to be abrogated, and the maintenance of the great roads to bo entrusted to the Council, while the money intended for tho cross roads should bo under the manage- ment of the Justices of the Peace and the Grand Juries. He proposed that the tools should be provided by the coun- ties, and that commissioners should be empowered to act for one year. These suggestions wore coldly received by tho House. In perusing the records of the Province, one is struck with the liberal road grants made from year to year, and nothing is more certain than that if the money had been honestly applied to the purpose for which it was voted, and tho legal amount of statute labor faithfully performed. Nova Scotia should at this day bo in possession of as fine roads as any country either in Europe or on this continent. But tho management has been degenerating from year to year till it has culminated in a gigantic system of political corruption in tho conduct of which perjury has come, in many cases, to be regarded as no crime — tho system being a nuisance to every man in the Province whose moral instincts are in a healthy condition. About ono hundred and seventy thousand dollars of tho public funds are voted annually for roads and bridgco, and eutrusted to the mem- bers of Assembly. These gentlemen are immodiatoly besot by patriots who have made themselves useful at election ROAD 5IANA0EMENT. 245 time, and the money is distributed amongst thorn on a sworn declaration that a certain amount of work has been done. There is no responsible sui'veyor for each county to report as to the repairs required, or any of those precau- tions taken that sane men regard as absolutely necessary in the conduct of their own business, to protect them from imposition. For every one that receives this political sop half a dozen of the honorable member's supporters are offended, and even the recipients of the grants gi-umblo because the appropriations are not larger. The Assembly might devote the whole revenue of the Province to roads and bridges, making, as at present, the performance of the work entirely dependent on the oath of the contractors, and the people of the Province would find from year to year no improvement in the service. The most sacred of obligations in connection with the road service has come to bo regarded as a demoralizing sham. Millions of pounds are expended on railways and public buildings without any oaths being required, and the sooner they are dispensed with in connec- tion with road work the bettor. What is wanted is good work done for good money paid. Another subject to which Lord Dalhousie called attention was the necessity for a survey of the Province to which the House paid no attention, at which omission, as we shall see, his lordship was much offended. Upwards of fifty years have elapsed since this subject was brought under the notice of the House, but the work has not yet been done. The public domain is considered of sufficient importance to require a sepai'ate public department conducted at a very large expense. But the crown lands were never systemati- cally siirveyod with the view of having in the Crown Land office a record of the quality and quantity of land for sale in each county. It were vain to urge the necessity for such a survey. It must be apparent to the dullest intellect, and that the work has not been done is an anomaly as difficult 246 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. I 1/ i \ .It to be accounted for as the misappropriation of the road money. The Assembly, desirous of marking its appreciation of the services rendered to the country by Lord Dalhousie, voted a star and sword to his Lordship. An address was accordingly presented by the Speaker and the whole House, and ho signified his grateful acceptance of the honor on condition of His Majesty's approval being obtained ; but when his Lordship found that the Assembly did not give legal effect to the leading measures of his administration, he addressed a letter to the Speaker, dated the thirteenth April, 1820, in which he expressed regret as to the nature of the communi- cation he had now to make in consequence of the proceed- ings of the last Session. His attention since he prorogued the Assembly had been directed to the more deliberate con- sideration of the results of these proceedings. Having rested confident of the same support which, till now, he had received, it was with great surprise and mortificnHon ho observed, in the first place, that one part of the loading measures which he had submitted to the House had been altogether passed over — he meant the survey of the Province. Im the next place, that the allowance granted last year for the inspection of the militia, this year included as part of the civil list public expense, had been entirely omitted ; and in the third place that the House, casting aside the long established forma of returning answers to the special messages of the Executive Government, had shown a disposition to disregard the prerogative rights, and the respect due to that first branch of the constitutional legis- lature. Without going into any inquiry, and without any delay of time, he felt it his duty to express through the Speaker to the House, that such conduct could not rcbt unnoticed, although it might be guarded against in future ; but the chief motive which now pressed him to address the Speaker before the dissolution of the Assembly, arose out of RECEPTION oi LORD DALHOUSIE. 24T tho address of tho House, which was presented to him by the Speaker and ,the members in a body, expressing approval of his conduct, and requesting his acceptance of a most magnificent testimonial of regard. Ho could have on hesitation in thanking the House of Assembly for this honor, and promised to solicit the gracious permission of his Sovereign to receive the testimonial therein described, but when he found the leading measures of his administra- tion rejected and suppressed in a manner disgraceful to tho high station in which ho was placed, at the very moment, too, when those gifts of approbation were tendered to him, his duty to his king, his duty to the Province, and above all, the earnest regard ho had to his own personal honor equally forbade the acceptance of the testimonial voted ; ho therefore now retracted the answer which he gave without suspicion that such circumstances could possibly exist, and he hereby, with all due'respect, desired to decline the offer, and to consider it of no effect whatever. He concluded by requesting that his letter might be communicated to tho members of Assembly in the form most suitable to the established rules of the House, and to that respect which ho had always felt and expressed towards them. Notwithstanding the dissatisfaction of the Governor, the Assembly and the people appreciated the disinterested motives by which ho was actuated, as proved by his recep- tion when he visited the Province three years after his departure to apsumo the Governorship of Lower Canada. He arrived in Halifax, from Quebec, on the third of July, 1823, when an address was presented to him by the Sheriff, J. T. Chipman, from tho magistrates and inhabitants of tho town. Ho was also entertained at a public dinner and ball, which were numerously attended by the 6lite of the Pro- vince. His Lordship was certainly one of the most able and practically useful Governors to whom its administration has been entrusted. . ■' m ir t i El ? i J '11: CHAPTER XIII. Lieutenant-General Sir James Kempt assumes the Governorship — Annexation of Cape Breton to Nova Scotia— Death of Rev. Dr. E. Burke— A sketcli of his life— Destructive fire in Shelburne County— Jolin and Jameg Croskill— Extensive fire in Miraniichi —Sufferings of the inhabitants— Election of Lawrence Cavanagh, a Roman Catholic, to the Assembly— He refuses to take an oath condemnatory of liis faith— The Home Government petitioned to dispense with the declaration against Roman Catholicism- Sir Jajnes Kempt's road policy— Sir James Kempt receives the Governorship of Canada — Appointment of Sir Peregrine Maitland as Lieutenant-Governor— John A. Barry, Member for Shelburne, censured by the House for improper language during debate — He refuses to make an apology— Is suspended by the House — Barry charges the committee with falsehood— Is committed to prison, and rescued by the mob— The editors of the " Acadian Recorder," and •' Free Press " reproved by the House of As- sembly—Origin of quit raBts — Dispute between the Council and the House of Assembly on the subject of brandy duties —Opening of the House of Assembly — Speech by the Gov- ernor — Renewal of the brandy dispute— Sketch of the Rev. Dr. James Macgregor- Formation of Temperance Societies in the Province- First apijlication of steam in the Province — The Halifax Mechanics' Institute — Departure of Sir Peregrine Maitland— The Hon. T. N. Jeffrey appointed Administrator of the Govern- ment—Policy of the British Government in appointing Governors. On the first of June, 1820, Lieutenant General Sir James Kempt, G.C.B, arrived in Halifax from England, to take the place of Lord Dalhousio. In order to obtain information respecting the Province he made a tour to the western poi'- tion of it in autumn, and was otherwise most assiduous in preparing himself for his gubernatorial duties. The British Government having resolved to annex the i ?; 1 ANNEXATION OP CAPE BRETON. 249 island of Capo Broton to Nova Scotia, addressed a despatch to the Lieutenant, dated the fifteenth of August, 1820, instructing him to consider the measures necessary to give effect to His Majesty's wishes. He was to issue writs for the election of two members for the county of Capo Breton to sit in the LogisLative Assembly of Nova Scotia, to dissolve the Council of Cape Breton, appointing, however, to seats in the Council of Nova Scotia any one or more members whose knowledge of the local interests of the island, or whoso merits in other respects entitled thorn to that distinction. The object being to make the island in every respect an integral part of Nova Scotia, ho was to consider the measures necessary for the Legislature of the Province to adopt in order to give effect to this intention. The laws of Nova Scotia were to be made applicable to the island, and legal action given by an act c." the Legislature to such ordinances as had been passed by the vJovernor and Council of Cape Breton, and might bo deemed beneficial to the interests of the island. With respect to the administration of Justice, it was necessary that the Judges of Nova Scotia tshould extend theii regular circuits to Cape Breton, in order to secure to the inhabitants every facility which they were entitled to expect. The Lieutenant-Governor was instructed to report as to those officers whom he might consider it necessary to retain, either permanently or for a time in the island after its annexation to Nova Scotia. It was doomed expedient that the oflflcer of the Customs, the Naval Officer, the Surveyor General, the Superintendent of Minos, who all had duties inde- pendent of any union or separation of the government, should remain in the discharge of their robpectivo offices as usual, with the difference, only, of reporting to the Lieutenant Governor through the Superintendent, who was to be ap- pointed resident in the island. The services of the Judges, and the gi-oator part of the subordinate officers of Justice were to be dispensed with, but a specification of the length it M 250 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. \l ! V. of thoir several services was to bo forwarded to the Homo Government, in order to enable them to judge how far those officials might bo entitled to a continuance of the whole or n jiortion of their respective eipoluments, or to be transferred to some other situation. The Chief Justice, Mr. Dodd, was allowed liis full salary of five hundred pounds a year for life as a pension, whilst the Secretary, Provost, Marshal, and Naval Officer were allowed half their salaries. The people of Cape Breton were by no means pleased with the union recently effected, and sent an agent to Lon- don, in order to represent to the British Government the inerzpediency of the change, and with the view, if possible, of securing a severance. Thoir oiforts, however, were not successful, and Cape Breton has ever since continued an integral portion of the Province. In the month of November, in the year 1820, diod at his Episcopal residence in Halifax, an eminent ecclesiastic of the Eoman Catholic Church, the Right Eoverend Edmund Burke, Vicar Apostolic and Bishop of Nova Scotia. Born in Ireland, ho held before his arrival in this country, the positions of Yicar General and Parish Priest of his native diocese, Kildare. On his arrival at Quebec, he was appointed to a professorship in the Seminary whore ho remained for some years, and won the esteem and confidence of the heads of his own church, and of the civil and military authorities. His superiors must have formed a very high opinion of his zeal, fidelity and administrative abilities, as wo find him sent shortly after as a missionary to "Western Canada to evangelize the wandering Indians, and with a commission from the Governor to secure their allegiance to British interests. The recent struggle between the mother country and the revolted colonies made it an object of par- iimount interest to the colonial authorities to secure the attachment of the Indian tribes. Dr. Burke's mission was RIGHT REVD. EDMUND BURKE. 261 Buccossful. Sovoral of tho lottora which ho wrote during his missionary labours in tho wilderness to an eminent Irish ecclesiastic, aro still preserved in the archives of tho cathedral in Halifax, and give graphic details of his labors and sufferings among tho children of tho forest. It will sound strange to those who in this year, 1873, know tho number of bishoj^s, priests and occlosiastical institutions of his church to be found from Montreal to Detroit, to learn from Dr. Burke's letters, that ho and another priest were for several years tho only missionaries in that vast region. Tho Imperial Government testified their appreciation of his services to them by conferring on him a pension of £300 a year. In 1803 he was sent by tho Bishop of Quebec to Halifax, as its first settled pastor, and to organize the adherents of the Church of Rome in that city. Into tho details of his labors in this way, and the successful efforts he made to provide, according to circumstances, for tho spiritual wants of his flock wo cannot now enter. The Glebe House so well known to strangers and residents in Halifax as tho homo of all Catholic Prelates and Priests, and St Mary's Cathedral, which was designed and its foundation laid by him, attest his energy and zeal. Polemics ran very high shortly after the arrival of Dr. Burke, and we find him in 1804, and for several years after- wardu engaged in discussions on the " allegiance of Catho- lics" and all tho controverted points of doctrine between the Churches, both with Dr. McCulloch, and Bishops Stanscr and Inglis. The writings of Dr. Burke, which are now nearly out of print, were published in three largo volumes, and bear ample evidence of his thorough knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin languages. That ho was a prelate of vast erudition, a powerful reasoner and able exponent of the tenets of his own church will be admit- ied bj"- all who have examined his works. He maintained 252 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. the most friendly relations with the Duke of Kent, whose friendship and confidence ho enjoyed, and the successive mil- iary commanders frequently consulted him on subjects of engineering and fortification with which, judging by the number of works on tlieso and kindred studies in his library, with notes in his hand writing, he must have been quite familiar. In 1816 Dr. Burke went to visit the Pope, and to repre- sent the state of religion in this Province. That he had made a favorable impression on the authorities is evi- dent from the fact that ho received,' shortly after, the Bulls nominating him first Catholic Bishop of Nova Scotia. The cares and responsibilities of Episcopacy wore too many for one who had attained his 76th year. He accepted the mitre and immediately sought among the Irish clergy for one who would share his labours as an assistant Eov. Mr. Long, of the Irish College, Paris, and a Eev. Mr. Lyons, of Cord, both declined the profored. honor. The Bishop died in 1820, in his ISth year, and the second of his episcopacy. The Dominion of Canada in its wide extent has seen few if any of its Prelates who died more respected and regretted by all classes, more beloved and idolized by his own flock, and whose memory as a great, enlightened and liberal minded Prelate is looked up to with so much venera- tion. In the month of September a most destructive fire broke out in the woods in the western part of the Province, and spread desolation over a considerable extent of country, reducing nearly sixty families in ho townships of Yar- mouth and Clare to a state of the greatest distress. The calamity was immediately made known to the Lieutenant- Governor by the magistrates of the county of Shelburne, and as a temporary relief the government vessel was im- mediately despatched with provisions and other necessary articles; liberal subscriptions were also made in various sections of the province for the sufferers. u EXTENSIVE FIllE IN MIIIA.MKMII. Wopulation of a thousand Bouls, was reduced to ashes. Douglastown, about a third o£ its size, was in the same condition. Of two hundred and Bixty houses and stores in the former town only twelve remained. One hundred and sixty persons were burnt or drowned, and the loss of property was about two hundred thousand pounds. 'J'he news reached Halifax on tlie afternoon of Saturday, the fifteenth of October, and on the following day — Sunu.vy — a public meeting was held, and twelve hundred pounds Bul)s(ribed for the relief of the sufi'erers. The noble exam- ple of Halifax was followed in other parts of the Province, and Nova Scotia contributed altogether four thousand fivo hundred pounds to mitigate the sull'orings of the u.ifortunato people of .Miramichi, In the year 1827, Mr. Lawrence Cavanagh, a Roman Cath- olic gentleman, was returned as one of the members for Ca|)e Breton, but a difficulty arose as to his taking his seat. The oath which members were obliged tt- take embodied condem- nation of the Roman Catholic faith, and while Mr. Cavanagh was willing to take that portion of the oath which related to 11 :=! ELECTION OF LAWRENCE CAVANAOH. 257 the state, ho could not swoar against any articles of the religion which he professed. Several resolutions were sul> mitteii to the house on thts subject, some of the votes on which seemed somewhat inconsistent with each other. At length a bill was passed providing for the removal of the objection- able clause, but the Council, whilst approving of the princi- ple and objects of the bill, refused to give it effect, on the ground that it was opposed to British law. On the facts being laid before the Home Government through the Gover- nor, permission was granted to Mr. Cavanagh to take his seat on taking the state oath. A resolution was afterwards passed by the Assembly which provided in future for the admission of Koman Catholics duly chosen as representatives in the same way. As the oath, however, in point of form remained the same, a petition was ably drawn up in 1827, by the Eev. John Carrol and others, and presented to the Assembly, praying that such tests of eligibility'- should be taken into consideration by the House, and measures adoptr ed for their abolition. Mr. Uniacke, on the subject being introduced, proposed the following resolution, — " That a committee be appointed to prepare an humble address to iJis Majesty, requesting His Majesty would be graciously pleased to dispense with the declaration and tost oaths ag-anst Pojiery, which His Majesty's subjects in this colonj'' are called upon to take." The resolution was seconded by Mr. Haii burton, the historian, in a speech which Mr. Murdoch heard, and which he declares was the most splendid piece of declamation to which he had ever listened. The resolution passed, and a committee was appointed to draw up an address to the King, in which the Assembly assured His Majesty that his Roman Catholic subjects m IS ova Scotia were second to none in loyalty and attachment — ihat they had been witnesses of tlieir civil conduct, an(i it was only due to truth to say that they evinced as zealous a disposition for the mainte- nance of His Majesty's government, aa any other donomina- ^'lll V ■ m ^^■'4n 258 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. II L'P'i"' tion of His Majesty's subjects. They had already, under the sanction of His Majesty, removed every restrictive hiw relating to his Roman Catholic subjects, which had be«n fol- lowed by their gratitude. Unwilling to pause they would now solici t the gracious exercise of the Royal prerogative for their additional benefit, and in compliance with the unani- mous voice of the House of Assembh-, they humbly solicited that His Majesty would bo graciously pleased to dispense with the declaration against Popery and Transubstantiation, as unapplicable to the present situation of the country, and tending to create invidious distinctions amongst His Majesty's loyal subjects. These senlimonts were in harmonj^ with n growing publie opinion in Great Britain, but to the honor of the Legislature of Nova Scotia it seems to have been rather in advance of the Parent State on this subject. Ever since the year 1804 there had been a division in the King's council on the subject of the Roman Catholic question. The Govern- ment of the country hiwi at intervals before that time been composed of persons Avho made a common cause in their resistance to the Roman Catholic claims, but for twenty-five years previous to the period of which we ai-e treating, men holding diflferent opinions on that question had formed His Majesty's council. Though the British House of Commons had on five difterent occasions, between the years 1801 and 1829, passed bills for the relief of the Roman Catholicg* resistance was offered by the House of L•c^.sion." TIiih resolution has cei'iainly a spice of humour in it, and it must Ijo admitted '"'t a more (iasymethoil of getting (juit of a deht, lo Royalty could not luivc Imicii adopted. Whilst tho arguments of the Spciakei-, ami Mr. .John Young in favor of a co!n mutation of the quit I'cnts were unansworalilo, yet the resolution of the lloui-c w.'is possihly the hcst, as il waH certainly the most popular, that could have heen passei',. 'J'ow.ir Is the close of the "Session c'. IH.'JO, tho House and the (Jo:incil came into violent coljision, and tho discussion.s which took pla(!e being of ahiding interest us involving an imp)rt!vut constitutional (jiieiliori, wo hHiiII endeavour to place hoforo tho reader the ma>n facts and urgu in en ts con- nected with tho controversy. In tho year 18liC tho rovon-io laws had undorgono careful revision. At that time a duty of ono shilling and four- ■I nil to DII- iul iir- miANI'Y DI'TIKH. 209 poiico was impoMtid on hriindy, but in conHoqucnco of a mis- conHtnictioii ol" Uk; liiw, tlio y tlio coriHlriiction pui upon llio Act, and tho IIoiiho resolved to make the duty what wa.s intended hy tho Act of 182()'. There waH no iritention on tho part of the AHHOinhly to alter tho general Hcale of diiticjH in IM.'JO, and when the hill imposing an juiditional foiu'-p'-iiee a gallon on hrandy wan ; Hcmbly were justly ollended at this unpreciodented intorfer- eiice with their constitutional I'unctions, and positively refused to make any alterations to please tho Council. During tho discUHiiiuii .Mr. .joliti Voitiig said, that lliuru iiu/ut' wu.s it miiltcT brouglil iiiiilur dLsciLitfion ill llio Housd f'muglit witli inoro Herifjiis t(jiisc(iU(:iic<;H. II wiia n conlcst hclweuii iLi; twu Iji'unclicH oC llic Lcglsla- tiiro on u IMl orSiii»[)ly to IUa Majusly, over wliicli tlm (JoniiiioiiH claiinitil peculiar CO Urol. It wan nut laorely about fouritonco per gallon trj ho impoaeil on I'randy and gin, for value in mont-y weighed nothing in the balaneo euinimreil witii the eonntitutional right svhich the inipo.sition (jf this duly involved. Tho whole <|ueBtii)ii might he expri'.s.sed in theHe wordd— whetlii-r liie Lower House in a Ri;venue liill or lli.-i Alaje-ily's (/'outicil were hy Parliamentary practice, jund (ir.Ht to yield. Much hlaine had hi'en cast on th(! (Jouncil for their iiilerCerence in a money hill. Jit- vas HatiHiied they had a right to ask a coril'erenci!, and to Hlate ohjeclion.i to the amount of duties, or to tho providions of the hill, liut their cunatl- luliotial right wan HUiclly limited to sugge.stion.s, for they could not touch the hill or send it hack with amci.dmentH. All the HleiH taken hy tiio l.'oinieil in the conference held wan atrictly regular, and invaded no privi- Itdge of the House ; hut when the x\flNemhly camo to a final decision, and (leterndned to adhere tu the hill, the.n it wa th luly of tho Council to yield. The ('ouuel' knew that the rrvenuo i vj expired on that day, and .iVH V 5*1 If 270 IIISTOliy OF NOVA SCOTIA. that if tlicy rejected the men.- ire llioy would throw cverylLing into con- fusion. At an early period of British Parliaiiiontary history the Ui)])Pr House did in- terfere both in originating and rcgulatinfr the sujiplies, but aft ?ra long strug- gle they conceded to the Commons this jiower, and for along time no such assumption had been attempted. The Lords viewed the spirit of the people, and did not attempt to disgrace and trample on their representatives. What I the Uouiicil have resolved on the daring measure of disagreeing to a Re- venue Bill, not because it gave too little to His .Miijesly, against which, as supporters of the Crown, tliey might remonstrate, but because it gave too much I and that too as a tn.K on an article of luxury consumed by the rich and not by the poor. It was a nioH extraordinary step, and oiiglit to be resisted. If the Council were determined to try their strengtli with the House on such a question, and at such a time, let them abide by Ihs consc- •quences. They ought to know that while the debate was proceeding the merchants of the city were acting, and that at that hour upwards of eleven hundred pounds worth of dutiable articles were llirown into the market, without paying a farthing to the Province ; and who could tell how much Blight be forced on the market before the dispute ended. Now when the ight of the House was called in question in clearing up an ambiguity in a Revenue Hill, it was time to make a stand, to rally round tho privileges that belonged to them, and assert them boldly and firmly. If they weakly gave way it was certain from the nature of conference held with the Coun- cil (.hat great changes vere meditated in the revenue laws, and the question of privilege must sooner or later bo tried. They were not to be deterred from their purpose by dread of consequences — by any considerations of expediency, and therefore now was the time to vindicate their rights, and to maintain that in matters of supply, the Council must yield to the Assembly. There was no principle of the constitution more clearly under- stood or more universally recognised than that all taxes must originate in and be regulated, guarded and directed by the representatives of the people, and that the revenue derived from them was the gift and boon of the Commons to His Majesty. The House, and the Iln.ise alone, could determine the amount of tlie tax, direct application, and increase or dimin- ish it, and the bill imposing such tax could not be touched by the Council. They might remonstrate, persuade, suggest. The members of the Asserab j wore, however, the representatives of the people, and responsible to them for their Legislative control. Sliould they impose taxea that were bur- thensome and oppressive, their constituents had the check in their own handa, >tnd could let their voice of di3a|)i)robation be heard at the proper time and place. But wiial control had the jieople over tlie Council ? or how could they express their inlignation to them eillier fur heavy taxes ■♦was! MR. ARCHIBALD'S SPEECH. 271 eakly ]oiin- 'stion erred »ns of and the nder- t,e in f the on of ould imin- an( il. rah J them bur- own [roiter I? or taxe3 or their misapplioation ? It was for that roasoa that the practice of Par- liament had given tlic Commons such mighty power over money bills — tliat the people might have their just weight iu the balance of the consti- tution, and that their members might not screen themselves from blame by pretending they were controlled by the Lords. He hoped there would be perfect unanimity on the question, If by division the House showed insen- sibility to the importance of the subject, they must be ultimately overcome. Re, for one, considered the rights and liberties of that House as sacred trusts reposed in him by his constituents, and he would defend them at all hazards, and should not be deterred, either by the fear of a dissolution or by the loss of property, or even the deprivation of his personal liberty — all was to be endured in a cause so intimately connected with the best and dearest interests of the people. The Speaker said that the mischiefs of the rejection were not easily cal- culated—that in a moment all was thrown into confusion, and in every part of the Province the same scene would be enacted. The warehouses were thrown open and dutiable articles were in the act of being transported to every part of the town and country, without payment of duty ; but it Avas not merely the amount of revenue that was lost, and the conseciuent embarrassment of public credit, but the injury to the ro'-chant who had imported largely and paid his duties, and now found a deluge of the same ■irticles poured into tho^market without any charge upon it , and the House uo doubt, at a future day, vrould be assailed from all quarters with griev- ances, arising out of this transaction, which they could not redress. Mis- chief would follow in the train of this rejection round the whole of the Province, publi': faith would be injured, the peace of the country broken, and it would be asked with eagerness, what could have induced His Majes- ty's Council to plunge a quiet and well-orilered Province into such a state ? And the answer would be received with wonder and amazement— to save tiic consumer of brandy fourpence per gallon, and to gratify the importers of that article. Would it not beji difficult matter of belief ? Would it not be saiu that this was not a matter of pence but of princiiile, and that the time had come to consider the constitution of that body which had brought these evils on the people ? He maintained that brandy was of all articles the fittest subject for taxation. That class of the community who used it were able to pay— it was not the drink of the poor man -and to say that the duty cramped trade was ridiculous. It was the consutror and not the merchant who paid the duty, and any other doctrine at thnt day would not be believed. The rejection of a revenue bill at such a time and under such circum- Btances by the Council— not for any unusual clauses or any irregularity in the bill itself, but m3rcly on a trifling difference as to the amount of duty 272 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. imposed by that House, with wlaom sucli bills must originate, would forn> a new era in the history of the Province, and would constitute a danger- ous precedent. Were the House to submit to encroachments on the riglit3 and privileges of the people, it would become a shadow and a name, and they would bo bound as honest men, in returning to their homes to tell their constituents that they had neither power nor influence, that they should address no more petitions to them to make known their wants, or to inform them of the state of the country, or as to the, condition of their roads and bridges — that they should send their representatives to the other end of the building; that they were no longer to submit to a revenue raised by their representatives, but to a scale of duties raised by those whose salaries were paid from the Treasury. The House formerly had a salutary control over those officers of the Government who had seats in the Council, because their salaries depended upon the revenue bills, and they were anxious to have these bills sent them by the Assembly. But now no such control existed ; permanent bills provided permanent salaries, and since tho pussing of the Imperial Act of Parliament, a revenue was raised without the aid of the House. Seeing that the privileges of the House were few, and their influence on the decline, it was high time to watch W'th earn over what remitiiieJ. If they were prepared to submit to tho dictation of the Council as to the amount of duty upon brandy, they must be prepared next year to be told that the duty on champagne was too high ; tho year follow- ing port and madeira, and all other wines which now paid a high duty would follow in the order of exemption, until nothing was left. It was not therefore the sum but the principle for which they were contending. If they had not the power to grant a supplv '" i-- M.ijesty, and provide for the great public services of the country without humiliating dictation— if the roads and bridges, education and agriculture, t'je fisheries and the com- merce of the country were of so little impo: tance in the eyes of His Majesty's Council that they were to be sold for fourpenceupon brandy, and the House was without redress, let tliera adjourn the Session, return to tlieir homes, and not insult the people they pretended to represent with the mere mockery, and the empty form of legislation. Mr. Uuiacke said it had fallen on a minority of which he had r.lways been one, to contend for several years past for a reduction on wines and other articles which were entirely too high. He had desired reduction of duty because he thought the additional consumption would tend to increase rather than diminish the revenue. When it was determined to impose an additional duty of fourpence on brandy he had opposed the measme, and the bill had now been rejected by the Council. lie would not give his concent to any infringement on llie rights of the Council. While they were careful to prcsave thcir^own rights they should respect the m^ Ml:. UNIACKE S SPEECH. 273 i rights of others. He must give the learned Speaker credit for the splendid eloquence with which he liad delighted the House, but he could not agree with his sentiments and views on tliis important subject. It had been said the Council had no right to reject a revenue bill, that they had only to look upon it ns a matter of form, and send it back to the House ; that it was for the House alone to say what should be taxed and what should not, and that the Council had no right to give any opinion. It was fortunate for the country that the Council did possess certain powers of which they could not deprive them, and after being recognised for nearly a century as part of the Government, he did not expect to liear them questioned by the hon- orable Speaker. He would turn to the paper handed to a Committee of the House in conference, from which it appeared that the Council expressly stated that the present rate of duty would press heavily on the commerce of the country, indeed, on certain articles it amounted to prohibition ; on that account they desired a reduction. This was a subject which a minor- ity of the House frequently urged upon the attention of the members. The Council had made no amendments on the bill, nor attempted to infringe their rights by taxation, and by expressing their wishes in conference they had touched on no privilege of the House. The House itself had been the occasion of all the mischief ihat had happened, by not showing a disposi- tion to consider the views of the Council, or even to treat them with respect and courtesy. It had been for some time past the fashion to depreciate the power and character of the Council within tlic walls of the Assembly, and to attack them on all occasions, regardless of the part they take in the legislation of the country under the constitution. Recently, when a bill had been refused, it echoed round the House that now was the time to send an J'ddress to the Throne to requeat His Majesty to remove some of the mem- bers, and grant a Legislative Council. The majority of the House, like pru- dent soldiers, ought not to have rushed into the field without providing for a retreat, and when the Council, in respectful language, offered suggestions they should have been courteously met. The House was now placed in such a position that it could retreat without legislative dishonor, and he saw no remedy left, but by an appeal to the elective voice of the country. But they were told that the revenue bills were always to be kept on the table of the House, as a whip over the heads of the Council, until they received all that was wanted from them. He was afraid they would soon be de- based if such steps were necessary. The bills were sent to the Council late on Monday eveumg, and as a proof that that body did not slumber over them, a message was sent next day to ask a conference, iu which certain reductions were proposed. Had his warning voice been listened to, they would not have been subjected to the loss of revenue of which they com- plained. He voted originally against the imposition of the one sliilling i.-ijf 'i' V4: 274 HISTORY OK NOVA SCOTIA. '■■) iHii M ! and foiirpenco duty, and he should now vote ngainst adherence to that duty. Could they suppose that the Council would give way after the debate of this day had reached them? He would sooner see them stand on the ruins of the cquntry and the raveuue than reliquish the rights that belonged to them. There was not one fact urged from which ho could draw the conclusion that the Council had deprived them of one privilege, or had any other object than the country's good. The opinions they expressed as to reduced taxation wcr" as legitimate as their own, and if they thought the rates in the bill too high they had a right to dissent. The Assembly had closed the door, and could not ccpeci the Upper House to lessen its dignity so far as to yield In violation of their oaths, and the trust reposed in them by their Sovereign. He had heard U said by the member for Cumber- land, that sooner or later a rupture with the Council was inevitable. He had no desire to draw the curtain aside, and disclose the feelings by which such expressions were produced. Were he to do so the order of the House must be violated A new bill was in point of form before the IIouso, and on the question being put whether the blank should bo filled up with one shilling imd fourpence duty, there voted for the motion thirty-one, and against it five — every member of the Assembly being in his place. The discussion was afterwards contijiucd on the motion of Mr. Uniacke, that the report which had been submitted by a committee of the House, condemning the action of the Council, and justifying that of the Assembly, should not bo received, when Mr. Eeamish Murdoch delivered a long and telling speech, evincing much careful research and sound argument, in o]']wsition to the motion. On the question being put the report was adopted by thirty-three votes to three. A message having Veen received from the Council reflect- ing on the conduct of the Sjwaker, the Assembly passed a resolution to the effect that by his conduct ho had merited both the gratitude of the House and the country. Tho House afterwards went into committee on tho general state of the Province, Avhen Mr. Murdoch moved a scries of reso- lutions, in justification of the course pursued by the House riiOUOGATION OF THE ASSEMBLY. 275 during the whole dispute, which were jiassed with but little opposition. The ajipropriation bill having been comj)loted and sent to the Council, they refused to receive it, and thus a revenue to the amount of about twenty-five thousand pounds was lost to the Province. A message was then sent commanding the attendance of the IIouso in the Council chamber, when the session was closed by the President of the Council, the lion. Michael Wallace, who had been acting in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor, with the follow- ing speech : " When I had the pleasure, of meeting you here on the eleventh of February for the despatch of the public business, and having nothing of moment to submit to your consideration, I did entertain a sanguine hope, that by youi- imited endeavors and cordial co-operation, the Session would not have detained you long, but I am sorry to find that although more than eight weeks have elapsed, the most important measures of the Province remain in abeyance, in consequence of a diflference of opinion on points which have been long established and recognized as necessary, for the salutary and effectual conducting the affairs of a govern- ment constituted as ours is." " Understanding that thei-e is little probability of your accordance in the matters that are ponding : under such circumstances I consider it my duty to relieve you from further continuance in service, that you may return to your homes to attend to your own concerns." After which, the Attorney-General stated, that he was commanded by His Honor to prorogue the Assembly to the first of July next. On a careful review of the whole proceedings connected with this rupture between the Assembly and the Council, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that the Council violated constitutional law in sending back a revenue bill to the House for amendment. Though ninety years have elapsed since the well-known work of Hatsell was (;M| ill 'm 276 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. published, it still continuos ono of tho luglicst authorities in questions relating to Parliamentary privileges. Tho thii-d volume of tho work contains tho precodonts bearing on tho subjert in question, and a pevusal of them loads to tho conclusion that no principle is juore clearly established by Parliamentary usage, than that all measures having for their object the taxation of tho people, must originate in tho House of Commons, and that the Lords have no right, in their legislative capacity, to make or suggest any alterations whatever, except in correction of vcrbai or literal mistakes. On the twenty-fourth of July, IGGl, the Lords sent down a bill for leaving the streets and highways of Westminster, to Avhich they desired tho concurrence of tho Commons, who, on tho ground that tho bill laid a charge on tho people, and that it was a privilege inherent in the Commons to originate such bills, laid tho ono before them aside, and ordered that tho Lords should be made acquainted with their decision, and requested not to suflfer any mention of the said bill to remain in the Journals of their House, but that the Commons, approving of tho object of the bill, had ordered a .similar ono to be prepared. Oil the seventeenth of Maj', 1G62, the Commons agreed to amendments made by the Lords, and several bills which had the appearance of trenching on the privileges of the Com- mons ; but they ordered an entry to be made in their Journals declaring that the House, after many conferences, did agree to tho amendment.^ made by tho Lords, to which tho House had condescended, not that they were convinced of tho Lord's right in this particular, but rather compelled to yield from their care for the public interest, and the nocossity cast upon them by tho shortness of tho session. On the seventeenth of March, 1770, tho Lords amended a bill imposing a tax on foreign brandy, wliich amendments wero considered on tho twenty-fourth, Avhen the following entry was made in tho Journals ; — " Amendments coming ' OPENING OF THE ASSEMBLY. 277 from tho Lord'^ to tho bill of brandy, which, being for laying an imjiosition on tho people, in broach of the privilege of this House, whore all impositions on tho people ought to begin ; thci'eforo the Houwe did think to lay the said bill and amendments aside," "When as early as the }'ear 1587, the Lords passed a bill for the sale of tho estate of one Thomas Ilandford for a delit due to the crown, the Commons rejected tho bill and passed another to tho same ofloct. Since tho revolution of 1G88 the Lords had ceased to claim a privilege which the Commons had resisted so frequentl} , and at the time of the collision between tho Assembly of Nova Scotia and His Majesty's Council, it was a settled principle of the constitution, that all charges or burthens on tho people must begin with tho Commons, and cannot be altered by the Lords. Much dissatisfaction was expressed in all sections of the country with the Council tor the rejection of tho revenue bill, and the general fooling was so forcibly evinced in various ways that no doubt could bo entertained as to the result of tho coming election, Avhich was that all tho loader.-? of the opposition to the action of the Council were ro-electod, with tho exception of Mr. Beamish Murdoch. Mr. S. G. W. Archibald was again elected S])eakci', and in returaing thanks stated his doterminacion to preserve invio- late the privileges of the House. Sir Peregrine Maitland, in his opening speech, expressed regret at tho severe indisposition which had occasioned his absence from the Province during the last session. It had boon his painful duty to communicate tho death of George the Fourth since his return to resume the government, by which the crown had devolved on His Majesty King AVil- liam tho Fourth. In consequence of these events the late Provincial Parliament had boon dissolved, but ho had lost no time in directing writs to bo issued for the election of a v,im 278 HISTORY OV NOVA SCOTIA. new AsHcinljly. Ho fbared tliiit tliis — the inontli ot'Xovcni' bcr — wiiH not the most convenient seusoii to call gentlemen from their homos, but ho thought tlmt Iho public Horvico rcquirocl an early mooting. lie hoped that they would ontor upon the discharge of their duties with a disposition to cul- tivate that spirit of harmony for which the legislature of the Province was long conspicuous, and which had proved so conducive to the best intot'osts of the cou' try. The discussions that followed wore conducted with much ability and admirable temper. The revenue bill of last session was much improved by the now House. The duty on cotlec and molasses was entirely abolished, and that on sugar reduced ; but it was ]>roposed to make the impost on brandy the same as that which had been rejected by tho Council. Mr. Chas. 11. Fairbanks made a powerful speech in behalf of a change of form and figures, for the purpose of conciliating tho Upper House, and thus preventing a second rejection of the revenue bill. " If in private life," ho argued, " two gentlemen found themselves in a similar position, Avhat course did good feeling as well as common interest point out? That of meeting half way — that of some small con- cession by each, otherwise differences could have no end ; so it ought to be in the present case where two branches of the legislature must involve themselves in permanent diffi- culties, by one of them adhering to the identical measure in form and substance which the other rejected. Adopt tho present resolution," said the honorable gentleman, -'and tho shadows which are now darkening over us will soon, I fear, be followed by a night of deeper gloom and disai^jiointmont over the whole Province." The resolution imjwsing the shilling and fourpence of duty on brandy was moved and seconded, and the House having divided, there appeared for tlie motion twenty-nine and against it nine.* *Th8 dissentients were Cavanagh, Uniacke, Bans, Creighton, Johueton, Budd, Deblois, Bliss and Fairbauk.'j. 1 IlEV. DU. JAMK.S Mc()KE(U)R. 27a 'v\ Mtich curiosity was excited m to tliO reception which would greet the measure in Ili.s Majenty's Council, but to flicir credit let it be recordetl, that they quietly adopted the bill, rcturnini^ it with their nHsent without altonition or sugge8tion, and tiius terminating a dispute which a due regard to the privileges of tht, Assembly ought to have prevented. In the year 1830 the Eev. Dr. James McGregor died at Pictou. IIo was a native of Perthshire, in Scotland, having been born in the Parish of Comrie in the year 1751*. Ills parents were pious, and were said to have dodicateil their child to the ministry at his baptism, lie attended the grammar school at Dumblane, and subsequently proceeded to Edinburgh to attend the University. Having completed the usual curriculum, he began his regular theological stu- dies under the Eev. "VVm. Moncrieflf, Professor of Theology to the General Associate Synod. In his twenty-fifth j-oar Mr. McGregor was licensed to preach the gospel. In 1784 the people of Pictou sent a petition to Scotland for a minis- tor who could preach in English and Gaelic. Mr. McGre- gor was offered the position, and accepted it. The sidiject of our notice was a firm Secedor, but the Synod informed him that ho was sent, not to make Socoders, but Christians. He was ordained in Glasgow in May. On the third of Juno Mr. McGregor went on board the Lili/ — a brig bound for Halifax, where he arrived on the eleventh of July. The Eev. Mr. Patterson, of Grccnhill, gives in his interesting life of Dr. McGregor a graphic sketch of tho condition of Nova Scotia when he arrived, and particularly of Pictou county, the scene of his special labors. " Where is th e town?" asked the young minister wlua he arrived at the place where ho imagined the town ought to be. On being told there was no town, he was sadly disappointed. " I looked on myself," he wrote, "as an exile from the church and society. I renounced all idea of seeing a town in Pic- n,i ^0 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 i.l 11.25 1^128 12.5 ■ 30 "^ iSl!!^ 2.2 Ao 12,0 V] /a ^/,. ^ 'y^'.'^') } !s !v Bxa 280 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. K Si- ;■ 1 ■ 4 II ":i ,V !t, ii tou ;" but an introduction to Squire Patterson and his ladj', who treated him with the greatest kindness, and who rejoiced in the prospect of enjoying gospel ordinances, parr'ally dispelled the deep gloom wliich had begun to pervade a mind naturally cheerful. Ilis dejection produced unfavorable impression as to his fitness for the ministerial work tc which he was called, but Avhon he preached his ■ first Sermon, doubt as to his competency seems to have vanished. The first settlers of Pictou came from Maryland in 1767. Six years afterwards the Hector arrived from Lochbroom, with a large number of Highlanders, from whom the great body of the present inhabitants of the county have descended. At the time of IVIi-. McGregor's arrival the population of the county Avas only about five hundred souls. Mr. Patterson, on the authority of a person who traversed the eastern portion of the Province, says that in 1787 there was not one inhabitant on the Cape Breton side of the Gut of Canso, and but one on the Nova Scotia side. ]\Ii'. McGregO'^ visited Trui-o shortly after his arrival, and preached to the Presbytery, which consisted of the Eev. David Smith, of Londonderry ; the Eev. Daniel Cock, of Truro ; tlie Eev. Hugh Graham, of Coruwallis ; and the Eev. George Gilmore, of Windsor. This was the first Pres- bytery formed in Nova Scotia — the first three gentlemen named being from the Burgher Synod. The Presbytery wished JMj*. McGregor to unite with them, but this he could not do conscientiously. Hair-splitting in reference to doc- trine was a characteristic at this time of Scottish ministers, and Mr. McGregor fresh from the arena of ecclesiastical controversy got up his theological bristles at a moment's notice. The result was a keen and long-continued controversy, in which there was a good deal of Highland ardor exliibited, but which ended in the combatants being good friends. TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. 281 fsy, ited, Shortly after his settlement in FIctou Mr. McGregor received a letter from his friend, the Eev. John Buist, of Greenock, being the first he had from Scotland since his departure. " It contained," he \VTites, " much news both ecclesiastical and political, and was to rao like lifb from tho dead. Looking on myself as an exile from tho world, and especially from Scotland, the reading of this letter revived all my tender feelings for my native country, my relatives and friends, especially tho ministers whom I left behind. At the same time I had a letter from my father, with tho news of my mother's death. Thus I was taught to rejoice with trembling, yet it helped to reconcile me to my lot." That lot was a peculiarly trying one, but tho missionary sot to work with zeal and vigor. His annual salary was r omi- nally four hundred dollars, and that was not regularly paid, fet in these circumstances we find tho devoted missionary agreeing tc pay fifty pounds for the freedom of a girl held in slavery in the Province, handing over for that purpose, twenty poimds of twenty-seven received in money, as part of his salary, for his first year's services ! Mr. McGregor's labors were appreciated in Scotland, and ho had the honor of receiving the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Glasgow University. Ho was a man of masculine intellect, and of respectable scholarly attain- ments — a sound and earnest preacher, and an honored and faithful servant of the Great Master. It is to bo hoped there aro few Nova Seotians who have not read tho interesting and instructive life of this great missionary by his grandson, tho Rev. Mr. Patterson, of Greenhill. In looking over tho newspaper files for tho years 1829 and 1830, wo find a considerable space allotted to the pro- ceedings of Temperance societies which had been formed in various sections of the Province. In the United States a National Temperance Association hail been formed, with branches in every state of the Union— numbering at that Mi ■i 61 br.^li '282 ni8T0RY OP NOVA S''OTIA. 1^ ■' timo in all about one thousand. The Eev. Dr. Beecher had published an eloquent sermon on the subject, which was extensively read in the Province, and which seems to have produced a powerful impression'. We give the concluding sentence of the discourse. Addressing abstainers, the Bev. gentleman said : " It is to you who can resist the unmanly 'efforts, guard the insidious wiles, and treat with merited conteinjit the scoffs and sneers of those who for malice or gain would ensnare or seduce you to abandon your good purposes, or break your solemn resolutions ; — it is to you and your vigorous, united, and individual efforts that it will in a great measure be owing whether intemperance, with all its ghastly horrors, shall continue to stalk unabashed through the land, shedding misery and guilt, woe and death in its progress, and resisting and paralyzing every effort to improve the temporal condition, or the moral or religious character of the people — or that deprived of his food, and driven from his lurking places, this hell-born monster should hide his guilty ftice in darkness, or spread his Dragon wings and fly away for ever." A vast amount of good has been effected through the instrumentality of temperance organizations. During the last forty-five years they have been silently, yet potently, undermining the drinking usages of society, and thus removing one of the principal sources of intemperance. At the period of which we are ti-eating , steam began to be applied in the Province to the pumping of water from the coal mines, and the propelling of vessels. The General Min- ing Association introduced the first steam engine into Nova Scotia, in the year 1827. In 1829 the Dartmouth ferry-boat was propelled by an engine of thirty horse-power, but groat difficulty was experienced in getting the engine to work well. In the year 1830, a boat, having an engine of similar power, plied between New Glasgow and Pictou. In the same year a steamer, which the newspapers called " The MECHANICS INSTITUTES. 233 Great Leviathan of the Sea," and intended to ply between Quebec and Halifax, was being built at the former city. I'mer She was to have two engines of eighty Jiorse-power, and was considered the wonder of the age. In the year 1832 there was in Halifax, what k very much required at present, a Mechanics' Institute, to which a grant was made by the Legislature, and which was for some time conducted with spirit and efficiency. Members of the Insti- tute delivered lectures on magnetism, hydraulics, hydro- statics, friction, comj^arative anatomy, architecture, history, music, agriculture, and other subjects. In England there are upwards of six hundred of these institutes ; and in Scot- land about sixty, with a membership of thirteen thousand connected with the latter. There is a most efficient Me- chanics' Institute in Leeds, which was founded in June, 1825. By means of exhibitions held in 1839 and 1842 resiioct- ivel}'', it became possessed of a handsome building. The Glasgow Institute was founded in 1823. Lectures are de- livered on chemistry, natural philosophy, popular anatomy, and other scientific subjects. Connected with all the lead- ing institutes in Great Britain there are evening male classes, where grammar, geography, mechanical and archi- tectural drawing, French, German, and mathematics are taught. The great drawback to the efficiency of these institu- tions was found in the want of early school training amongst the working classes. That, however, is an evil which is being rectified by means of a system of national education. In Nova Scotia we have only one or two Mechanics' Institutes. In Halifax we have now a large body of me chanics — and the number is rapidly increasing — for whom no special means of instruction and amusement arc provided. We have temperance organizations, which are excellent in their way, but which do not supply the want to which we refer. In all the towns of the Province there is & staff of competent teachers, but no evening classes for the .^ti 2S4 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. insv- iction of apprentices, which would be productive of sa much good ; no popular scientific lectures by able men, whose services could bo obtained on moderate terms, to ele- vate the intellectual standhrd of our working men, and thus be uii efficient antidote to the evils which want of suitable amusement and recreation is sure to originate and propa- gate. There is, perhaps, no country of the same population in Her Majesty's dominions in which so many able insti'uc- tors, in the various departments of knowledge, reside as in this Province. Mr. George E. Young, son of Mr. John Young (Agricola), took a most active interest in the Halifax Mechanics' Insti- tute. Having been in Great Britain in the year 1833, he Aisited all the leading institutions of the same kind both in England and in Scotland, and was, therefore, in a iiositiou to make suggestions for the more successful conduct of the Halifax Institution on his return. He stated that the main difibrence between the Halifax Institute and those of Britain was in the system of introductory schools. The progress made by apprentices and othcj's at these schools astonished Mr. Young, and he strongly recommended their adoption, and offered to take the management of one of tlicm. Our Young Men's Christian Association is admirable, and is in process of more fully answering the purposes for which it is intended, but Mechanics' Institutes must originate with mechanics, be managed by mechanics, and, were such insti- tutes started with spii-it they would meet with practical support from good men of all sections of the community. The year 1832 will ever continue noted in British Iiistory as that in which the Reform Bill became the law of the land, by which a vast stride was made in the removal of electoral abuses, and the extension and consolidation of representative government. The measure encountered the most determined opposition in the House of Lords, Avhich was the means of intensifying popular agitation, till it verged on a dangerous (-'II K I ] ! ? CHARACTER OF LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS. 285 and hich with insti- Itical ?tory ^and, toral itive lined Ins of erous outb^'euk of popular furj', and the only alternative loft to the I pper House was the acceptance of the measure, or such an addition to its membership, through the exercise of the 'i yyysX prerogative, as was necessary to secure a major- ity. Many of the great speeches delivered in both Houses of Parliament were fully inserted in the Nova Scotia news- papers, and eagerly read by the people ; and the enlightened sent'inents thus propagated prepared the popular mind for the healthy agitation which subsequently led to a radical and wholesome change in the system of Provincial govern- ment. Sir Peregrine Maitland, the Lieutenant Governor, left finally for England in October, 1832, when the Honornblo T. N. Jeffrey became administratcr of tlio viovovnment. Sir Peregrine was an amiable mnn r>f vofiririri +10+0 »>„+ iitl^orly wanting in decision of character and administrative capa- city. On the departure of His Excellency the following was the amusing but very charactorictic boiiOJictiou of Uie editor of the Nova Scotian : " We wish liim a safe and ppeody passage to his native country — and if they are not all abolished before he gets there, we could almost find in our hearts, for his amiable lady's sake, to wish him one of the many snug sinecures with which old England abounds !" The Lieutenant-Governors who are appointed to the col- onies consist of two classes, of one of which Sir Peregrin© Maitland was a type -either men who are selected simply on account of the influence they can bring to bear on the British Government, independently of siiitable qualifications for the office, or men who have proved theiuselveo possessed of the requisite ability to discharge their duties efficiently and with benefit to the counti*y of whose government they are for the time to be directors. Nova Scotia has had gov- ernors having a due sense of their responsibility, who no sooner arrived in the Province than they set themselves to study the condition and requirements of the country, and M 286 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. n i after duo dcliboration devised and successfully carried out measures whoso benoticial effects have been permanent. The names of these men continue to be mentioned with hon- or ; whilst on the other hand it not unfroquontly has been the lot of the Province to have its government committed to officials whose greatest praise has been that they have really been administrative automatons, who did no positive, but a vast deal of negative harm, by occupying a position which might have been filled by men fitted, by experience and natural capacity, for the post. No ruler can pui'sue a manly course, and stamp his mark on the S'.ato whose interests are committed to him, without incurring the enmity of a portion of the people, but a resolute determination to abide by right is sure in the end to redound to his honor, as well as the advantage of the country which enjoys the jirivilege of his administration. " Let statesmen remember," says Channing, " that while they and their contemporaries live but for a day, the State is to live for ages, and that time, iho unerring arbiter, will vindicate the wisdom as well as the magnanim- ity of the public man, who, confiding in the power of truth, justice and philanthropy, assorts their claims and reverently follows their monitions." A reform much required is being introduced into the departments of the British public service ; genuine merit, and not pedigree or family interest is now recognized and appreciated; and so far as colonial govorno.f- ships are concerned, whilst it must be admitted that mistakes may be occasionally made as to the fitness of the persons selected, yet there can be no excuse, as a rule, in placing ornamental figure-heads in a position where real head and hard work are constantly in demand, as in the case of every such colonial appointment. lit it. )n- »ou [ lo vUy it a iiich aini anly 3 aro irtioii right 13 tho of his aning, a day, lorring anim- truth, rently being ervico ; is now IvovnOA'- ustakes Ipersons ]placing sad and )f every CHAPTEE XIY. Opening of Parliament — Speech l)y the President — Resignation of Chief Justice Blowers — Proposed increase in salaries of the Judges — Debate in the House on tlie subject — Debate on the cur- rency question— Banking— Opening of the session of 1834 — Dis- cussion on the Solicitor-General's resolutions as to the disposal of the revenues — Protest of the people against the bill — Mr. Stewart's attack on the constitution of the Cotincil — Arrival of Sir Colin Campbell — Depression of trade in the Province — Rav- ages of cholera in Halifax- C •■ivention of Temperance Societies in Halifax — The Governor ^ spcecli at the opening of the session — Discussion on the subjo';' of Mie quit rents — Efforts of the House for the extension of trade — Attack on the Municipa' Go- vernment of Halifax by Joseph Howe, edltur of the " Nv-va Scotian" — The magistrates sue him for libel — Howe undertakes his own defence — Spe.ch of James F. Gray — Defence of Mr. Howe— The Chief Justice's address to the jury— The verdict — Libel law in Britain — Report of the Educational Committee — Progress of education in the Province — General election of 1836 The contest in Halifax County — Election of Messrs. Howe and Annand — Doyle's resolutions respecting the private deliberations of the Legislative Council— The Council refuse to receive them — Mr. John Young's speech on the action of the Council — Mr. Howe's speech on the constitution of tlie Council — Debate on Howe's resolutions — Their adoption by the Assembly — The Council asks a rescindment — Mr. Howe moves an address to tlic Crown — Debate on the motion — Its adoption — The Council pre- sent a counter address to the Governor — Discussion with refer- ence to the duration of Parliament — Money voted for the protection of fisherier -Treaty between Great Britain and the United States —Violation of the treaty by U.S. fisliermen — Despatch of the Colonial Secretary respecting fees exacted by the Judges — Mr. William Young's speech— Public meeting in favor of inoorpov- -ating the town of Halifax — Rebellion in Canada— Opening of the session of 1838— Reply of Her Majesty to the address presented I 1 1!' , ;i .HI' lit 1:1 I! 288 HIBTORT OP NOVA BCOTIA. by the Aseenibly — Formation of the Executive Council — Par- tiality of Sir Colin Campbell in selecting Councillors — Protest of the House — Close of the session — Lord Durham appointed Go- vernor-General^Is waited upon by delegates from Nova Scotia —His treatment by the British Government, and resignation- Intelligence received of the invasion of New Brunswick from the United States — Patriotic action of the Assembly — Appointment of Mr. W. H. Huntington and Mr. William Young as delegates to London— Reforms effected by their influence— Lord Durham's report on Canadian affairs — It is condemned by the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia — Introduction of steam communication between Great Britain and Halifax — Establishment of the Cunard Li. ^— The Allar Line — Completion of the railway between Albion Mines and New Glasgow. The Assembly met early in February. The President, in his opening speech, referred to the absence of Sir Peregrine Maitland, who liud faithfully served His Majesty for fifteen years in Upper Canada, and who had now left for England. He congratulated the House on an increase of the number of representatives for the county of Cape Breton, in confor- mity {'^ *ho expressed desire of the Houoo, and on the extension of the Free "Warehousing Act t^o the ports of Liverpool and Yarmouth. He alluded to the providential exemption of the Province from the scourge of cholera, which was desolating other regions, and complimented the Central and Local Boards of Health for the fidelity and vigor with which they were discharging the'r dutius. A few days after the House mec the President sent a message intimating that Chief- Justice Blowers, after a ser- vice in that capacity of thirty-five years, had resigned, and conveyed the desire of the Ilonic Government that a suitable superannuation allowance should be given him, and appointed Mr. Justice Halliburton as his successor — the place of Mr. Hallibunon, as one of the Assistant Judges of the Supreme Court, to remain vacant till the Legislature determined to reduce or continue the number of judges of MB. 8TEW/AT ON THE JUDICIARY. 289 . m knt a eer- and lat a and -the tes of ittire tea of which the court had hitherto consiBtod. In a despatch from Lord Godorich, Secretary of State for the Colonies, which accompanied the President's message, his Lordship called attention to the salaries attached to the judicial offices, which he deemed inadequate, and of which he recommended an increase. At this time the salaries of the Judges were the following: Chief Justice, eight hundred and fifty pounds; Puisnd JuHgres, five hundred and fifty each ; Associate J'T'ilge, three hundred and sixty ; i*.f aster of the Rolls, five hundred and forty; Chief Justice, Inferior Court, Capo firetor, four hundred and ffty; the three Judges of the eastern, western, and middle divisions respectively, being paid at the rate of four hundred and five pounds each. In the event of the Legislature not deeming it expedient to reduce the number of judges, Mr. S. G. W. Archibald was to be appointed to the vacant Puisn^ Judgeship, and his Lord- ship at the same time expressed his appreciation of that gentleman's zealous efforts iu His Majesty's service, and the strong claim they gave him to the favor and countenance of His Majesty's Government. The debate on that part of the message relating to the judiciary was opened by Mr. Stewart, who moved that the House deemed it expedient to accede to his Lordship's recom- mendations, and that a committee should be appointed to prepare an address to 'J is Majesty setting forth the willing- ness of His Majesty's subjects in this Province to contribute, to the utmost of their means, to the support of the Govern- ment, when required to do so in the manner prescribed by the British constitution and the usages of Parliament, and humbly praying that he would be pleased to make such an order respecting the casual and other revenues of the Province, now expended without the consent of the House, as would render the application of the same subject to the disposal and control of the House. The suggestions of Lord Goderich met with little favor in the Assembly, and i^ .■-:-l'| m n 290 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. ' i; ! I originated an animated discussiori embracing a wide range, in which the threat of the Home ijovernmcnt to collect the quit rents, and their retention of ihe conl mines of the Pro- vince, were severely condemned. On the latter subject Mr. William Young — now Qir William — delivered a speech, which, by the embodiment of factt-, and temperate sugges- tions as to the best means of eftecting a radical change, tended to pave the way for the satisfactory settlement of the question, that was etfected many years later — to which we shall refer in its proper place. During the session a long debate took place on the cur- rency question. A perusal of the speeches delivered impres- ses the reader with a high opinion of the debating ability of many of the members of Assembly, as well as astonishment at the extent of research of which they furnish evidence. A committee was appointed to consider the subject, who re- ported in the ^orm of a series of resolutions, of which the following are the principal : that all monies payable at Pro- vincial offices, or othciwise, for Provincial duties, be received only in coin or treasury notes ; that it is inconsistent with the public safety to permit any notes, whether of banks or individuals, to pass as currency, unless convertible, on de- mand, into specie at the will of the bearer; that the passing of such notes, not convertible into specie, be prohibited from and immediately after the passing of the bill which is proposed to be introduced on the subject. While the discussion tended to form a healthy public opinion with respect to the cui'rericy, and particularly with respect to the fundamental principle that all bank promis- sory notes should be payable to bearer on demand in specie, t the bill in which the resolutions of the committee, after its adoption by the House, were embodied, was rejected by the Council, who, however, expressed their concurrence in the general principle that a paper currency should be con- vertible into gold or silver — a principle soon after adopted. It:; Tnr, BANKING SVHTRM. 291 and the universal and legal recognition of which, at present, Wiien banking operations are conducted on 80 extensive a pcale, lies at the very foundation of a healthy currency, and without which that implicit confidence in paper money, ho csNential to the succcHsful conduct of these ostablinhments, as well as to the legitimate exte.ision of commerce and manu- factures, could not exist. Previous to the formation of the Halifax Banking Com- pany, in the year 1825, Provincial notes were the principwl circulating medium, in which the business of the country was transacted. These notes were not convertible into specie, but their value was not called in question, and they constituted a loan to the people without any interest. No inconvenience was sensibly felt from the absence of a inotallic resen'c. When the projectors of the Bank of Nova Scotia applied for a Charter in 1832, they were required, under the pressure brought to bear in the Legislature by parties interested in the Halifax Banking Company, to make a de- posit in specie and Provincial notes to the amount of fifty thousand pounds, as well as to make their notes payable in solid coin under a heavy penalty. When the time came for the payment of deposits by the stockholders, they found little specie, and few Provincial notes in circulation. Hence they had recourse to the notes of the Halifax Banking Com- pany, in order to procure the necessary medium. A I'un on the bunk "P'as the natural consequence, which it sustained by payment of inconvertible treasury notes, which became de- preciated, and thus a crisi;: was produced — proving that a bank note circulation cannot bo permanently sustained with- out diminution of value, except by payment on demand in curren,t coin. In opening the session of 1834, the President stated that His Majesty having been made aware of the desire of the people of Nova Scotia to have the management of the reve- nues, and anticij)ating a formal application on the subject, m fjj w. 292 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. m ^k had authorized him to express his readiness to place the casual and territorial revenue at the disposal of the Provin- cial Legislature, on their agreeing to make a permanent provision for the public servants whose salaries had been hitherto paid from the funds he was disposed to surrender, or from Parliamentary grants which were discontinued. His Honor, accordingly, a few days after the opening of the session, sent a message to the house, with an extract of a despatch from E. G. Stanley, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in which he replied to an address to His Majesty reported to the House of Assembly, and of which the dis- cussion was to be resumed in the present session. The Secretary expressed his satisfaction with the address as evincing, on the part of the House, an earnest desire to meet the views and wishes of His Majesty in regard to the financial concerns of the Province. By the expres- sion of such a feeling, the arrangement which he proposed to recommend in. no WE ATTACKS THE MAGISTRACT. 301 Campbell, the Lioutonant-Govcrnor, in Aviiich ho discovered the features of the lute Sir John Sherbrooko, expressing his conviction that if the inward man corresponded, there was yet some hope for " The People." This amusing ci^intlo created nc' small sensation throughout the country, and the magistrates resolved to bring an action for libel against Mr. Howe, founded on the letter in question. The Attorney- General, S. G. W. Archibald, accordingly wrote with much apparent gravity in the following terms to Mr. Howe : " I am called upon in my official capacity to institute a prosecu- tion against you for the publication of an article signed, '• The People," in the Nova Scotian of the first January last, containing very gross charges against the magistrates of Halifax ; and, as it is my intor.tion to proceed against j-ou in the ensuing term, I have deemed it pi'oper to give you this notice that you may be prepared for trial in the same term." This letter Mr. Howe published, stating that tr.cir worships might gain a victory, but that he should be mis- taltcn if they bore their baiinei's unsullied from the field. As the result of the action depended on the verdict of a jury, Mr. Howe acted wisel}'' in unc'ertaking his defence himself. He judged shi'ewdly that the question " ought to turn on no mere technicality or nice doctrine of law, but on those broad and simple principles of truth and justice to which an unpractised speaker might readily appeal, and which an impartial jury could as clearly comprehend." Tlio case was opened by Mr. James F. Gray in an exceedingly temperate speech. lio said that when the letter which con- stituted the ground of iudictment was published the accused applied to the Governor, praying that such a course should be adopted as would bring the matter before a court of jus- tice. The application was transmitted to the Attorney- General. That officer had in virtue of his office more j)Ower than any other advocate, and might adopt either of two courses : he could have filed an ex-officio information on behalf u m M: 302 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTTA. I' \ I of tho Crown, which, without any proliniiiiai-y inqtiiiy, would place (lofonlant on his trial, or lay tho charge boforo tho (rrau'l Tn'iuost of tho county. Tho latter found a bill, and now Mr. llowo stood his trial as ho would for any other criminal offonco. As regards i)ublic persons, such as magis- trates and other functionaries, tho law considered a libel a higher ofTonco than when committed againso private indi- viduals. 3rr. Gray concluded by saying that the counsel for tho prosecution wore contendrng against tho popular side of the question, hut that juries in Halifax had always done jus- tico between parties uninfluenced by such considerations, and that whatever their verdict might bo ho should bo satisfied. Mr. Howe bog;in liis addi-ess lij* rofoiTinj to tlio peculiar circumstances in "which he appeared before the jiirj, entreating them to believe that no ostentatious desire for display had induced him to undertake the labor, and responsibility of his defence, but he felt that if the press was to be sub- jected to such a series of prosecutions as this one, it was iudispensible for the safety of those who conducted it that they should learn to de- fend themselves. He thanked Heaven and their ancestors that he did not E'and before a venal and corrupt court, and a packed and predetermined jury to contend against these horrible perversions of the constitution and the law, by which justice and common sense were formerly outraged, and by which many an innocent and virtuous man had been cruelly condemned. Formerly in cases of libel, instead of the jury being called on to give a general verdict, founded on their own view of the law and the facts, they were directed to determine only whether the matter in question had been published by the party arraigned ; and if it had, the judge assumed his guilt, and a wicked minister often awarded the punishment ; but he thanked God those days were past. Such a prostitution of judicial power could never occur again under the shadow of British law, for no jury within the wide circle of the Empire would submit to such an infraction of their pri- vileges, even if a judge could be found daring enough to attempt it. If the magistrates had dared to have brought the action in such a form as to make evidence admissible, he would ha vo sent themou of court in a worse condition than Falstaff's ragged regiment. Mr. Howe then asked what motive he could have in attacking a body in the ranks of which were some of his own relations and friends, and which embraced some of the leading men of the principal families in Halifax, ipi^' MR. HOWE S PErKNCE. 303 ned aad and flued. could the pri- If as to vorse ,lifax, vbose support and countenance might bo of essential lervico— whoso enmity it would bo unpulitic, if not highly injurious to provoke. He then presented a picture of tlie luilicrous conduct of hid accusers, in marching into court and reading aresoiutiou in wliich they expressed their anxiety that Mr. Joseph Howe should be allowed to adduce evidence to substantiato the published charge, whilst thi'y knfw perfectly tliat such procedure as the calling of witnesses was in tiie circumstunces impossible, and tliat his Lords!iii> dared not, for liis head, vary tlie rules of law by wliich the issue was to bo tried. It appeared to him as if they had loaded a tleld-piece, presented it at the heart of their foo, wliom they had tied to a stalte, and Laving lighted the fuse, gravely took olT tlieir hats, and making a very polite bow, begged that it would not go off till lie had got behind his wall. " But," said Mr. Howe, " I hope to put them in the situation of tlie unfortunate Irishman, who, to prevent the explosion, crammed his wig into the muzzle, and give them 'a hoist with tlieir own petard.'" To the charge contained in the indictment that he was greatly disaffected to the administration of His Majesty's Government in this Province, and ■wickedly, maliciously and seditiously contriving, devising and intending to stir up and excite discontent and sedition among His Majesty's subjects, ho replied with great efToct by reading from the file of the ^ova Scolian articles which had emanated from his pen, and which breathed the most devoted loyalty to the British Throne, as well as warm attachment to the British' constitution. He then directed attention to the mnde in which tlie poor and county rates had been levied for many yenis, and proved that tlie accounts were kept in such a scandalous manner that no human being could unravel them, and that the grossest irregularity and partiality were evinced in their collection. Mr. Howe then referred to themanagemontof Bridewell, which was under the control of the magistrates, am' amused the jury and the audience by a description of the manner in which its business 'ras conducted. He next alluded to the poor asylum, in relation to which it had been expressly en- acted that no commission should have any profit or emolument whatever by furnishing supplies. "Sonic of the members of tlie sessions had thought," said the accused, " that they could alter this law as they wished to alter tho law of libel, for in the face of that section was it not matter of notoriety that for years the principal part of the supplies for the poor house passed through a certain store, that nearly all tho flour and meal passe 1 through a certain mill, leaving of course an abundant grist behind." The abuses of the police regulations were next exposed with unsparing hand, and the question put to the jury, " now, gentlemen, upon a calm survey of this case can you find me guilty of a malicious libel?" >,! 4j '.nit 304 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. if;f mil mil:- Mr. IIowo, towards tlio cndof liis nddross, which occupied six hours in the delivery, quoted ominont nutlioritios in law tending to show that the jury were bound to judge of his conduct according to the motives by which he was actuated, a-i doterminod by the facts which he had laid before them. " Gcntlomcn," ho said, " I feel that your verdict will rescue mc from the perils with which I have been environed. You will hot deliver mo over to the tender mercies of the sessions. You will tell those jobbing justices that they should havo come into court with clean hands, that they should havo sot their house in order — their poorhouso and their woi'khouse, before they came to claim a verdict to repair their rotten reputations." After Ml-. Howe had finished his address tho court ad- journed till next day when the Attorney-General, Mr. S. G. "W. Arcliibald addressed the jury in a speech, from which it m.ny be inferred, that whilst believing that the letter under tho signature " Tho People " was in law a libel, yet that it contained more tlian a spice of truth. Chief Justice Halli- burton, in charging the jury, said: " In my opinion the paper charged is a libel, and your duty is to state by your verdict that it is Ubellous." "NVith duo deference to his Lordship wo may be permitted to say that ho abrogated his function as a constitutional judge, and assumed that of an imperious dictator when he instructed the jury to return a verdict of guilty. His duty as judge was to expound tho law, leaving the jury to determine as to the correctness of his deductions, and the bearing of the facts. If it be the duty of juries to return verdicts, according to the opinions of presiding judges, then their Lordships are de facto juries as well as judges, and the functions of the former are simply nominal, an English jury being no longer " the most refreshing ])ros- pect that the eye of accused innocence ever met at a human tribunal," but an organized sham. The jury, in this case, without hesitation, returned a ver- « TRIAL BY jrnv. 305 diet of not guilty, which was rocoivod with unbonndofl pojui- Inr sntisfuctlon. In his (lofonco, Mr. IIowo was allowed a degree of latitude, which would not bo permitted to a professional advocate, and the stylo as well as matter of his spcefh coUld not have boon hotter adaptoil for a jury. The trial possesses historical interest, as securing permanently in this country the freo- .oni of th'^ press. The matter of the letter in which the action originated was clearly actionable, and if the charges could have boon substantiated, would have rendered the publisher liable to heavy damages, if the mod*" of trial admitted of their imposition, or, as in tho case in question, in the ovont of an adverse decision, to sovero punishment by imprisonment. Till tho decisions of Lord Mansfield and Mr. Justice Buller in tho celebrated trial of Dr. Shipley, tho Dean of St. Asaph, tho functions of juries in libel cases were not well defined. In consequence of tho anomalies of these decisions — u; loubtedly justified by precedent — and the masterly expo- sure i.iado by the greatest forensic advocate that ever graced tho Englisli bar — Thon-ns Erskinc — Mr. Fox framed a libel law, whose provisions implied that tho decisions of the eminent judges named — although correct according to legal usage — ■were unconstitutional ; an opinion which was approved by the British Legislature, tho bill becoming law, and pro- viding that on tho trial of an indictment or information for the making or publishing any libel, whore issues are joined between the king and a defendant, on the plea of not guilty pleaded, it be competent to the jury impannelcd to try the same, to give a general verdict of guilty or not guilty upon the whole matter in issue, and that they shall not be required or directed by the court or judge, before whom such indictment or information shall bo tried, to find tho defendant guilty merely on tho proof of tho publication by such defen- dant of the paper charged to be a libel, and of the sense -M $ 306 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. - i iiscribed >to tho same in such indictment or informationv This admirable act which has been in force for upwards of sixty years, and by which the presiding judge is roq[uired to stale the law, and give his opinion as to its bearing on tho case, but which vests with the jury the ultimate decision, has been regarded so complete that no alteration or amend- ment of it has been proposed since it became the law of the land. The argument of Erskine, in the King's Bench, in support of the right of juries, is the noble pedestal on which tho act rests, and one which will endure as long as the British constitution, constituting a monument to the genius of the man whose services it commemorates more durable tlian an Egyptian Pyramid. An education committee, of which Mr. John Young was chairman, and consisting of a member from each county, presented an interesting rej^ort to the Assembly during tho session of 1836, in which wo have a glimpse of the condition of the Province a:t that period as to educational advantages. In 1832 an Act T.as passed for the encouragement of com- mon and grammar schools, conducted on the precarious principle of voluntary subscriptions by the inhabitants, within the different school districts — the Province not being yet deemed in a condition to assume the burden of maintain- ing a system of elementary instruction by an oi, litablo assessment on the i^opulatiou To the honor of the inhabi- tants of Middle Musquodoboit thoy were the first in tho Province to appi'eciato the advantages of a general assess- ment for the support of schools, for they sent a petition, which was referred to the Committee, urging the House to impose an educational tax on means and property. Tho number of schools in the Province, in 1835, was five hundred and thirty, and the aggregate nuniber of scholars attending, fifteen thousand. The amount raised for educational pui"- poses in Halifax county was, in 1835, one thousand pounds ; Colchester gave fifteen hundred ; Annapolis, East and Westy EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENT. 307 two thousand pounds ; Yarmouth and Argyle, twelve hun- dred pounds ; Lunenburg and Cumberland, one thousand pounds each. The sum collected by the people of Pictou county is not stated, but it sent the largest number of scholai'S to school of any county, except that of Annapolis, being upwards of two thousand ; Colchester sent eleven hundred J Kinf^s, one thousand; Annajwlis, trs'o thousand ; Yarmouth and Argyle, sixteen hundred, and Lunenburg, twelve hundred. The entire amount raised by the people, in 1835, for educational purposes, by voluntary contributions, was twelve thousand four hundred pounds ; and the suni paid from the Provincial Troasuiy, for thci same object, was six thousand eight hundred pounds. Those figiires present a record highly creditable to the Province, showing that tho people were beginning to appreciate the advantages of early educational training, and anxious' to prepare the way for the introduction of the comprehensive system which, at a later period, was introduced, and which, it is hoped, will be main- tained with ever increasing cificiency. Tho House of Assembly having been dissolved, in 1836, in vii'tue of its term having exjiired, tho election took place in ^November of the same year. Mr. Joseph Howe and Mr. William Annand Avere nominated ulong with Mi*. Willian Lawson, Sen., and Mr. II. A. Gladwin as representatives of the County of Halifax, Mr. How o delivered his lirst elec- tioneering speech at a public meeting in the city, basing his title to support on his continued antagonism to existing abusus — exorbitant salaries to Government officials, unao- countability of the magistracy, and the secret legislation of His Majesty's Council, who, despite repeated remonstrance, closed their doors against the press and peojile during their deliberations. Mr. Annand was not present at this meeting, but published a short address to tho freeholders, iu which he stated his desire that the casual and territorial revenue should be under thy control of tho Provincial Legis- 1*^ 1:1 ■ 308 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. u. laturc ; that means should bo adopted to increase internal communication between the commercial, fishing, and agri- cultural jiortions of the countrj^; that a more efficient school system should be introduced, so that the advantages of edu- cation might be extended to all classes of the community ; that the term of the duration of Parliament should not exceed three years ; that Legislative encouragement should bo alForded to agriculture, the fisheries, and domestic manu- factures, and that the strictest economy should be introduced into every department of the public service. Both Mr. Howe and Mr. Annand were returned for Hali- fax County, and the following prominent gentlemen con- nected with the previous House were also returned : Messrs. Herbert Huntington, S. G. "W. Archibald, Alexander Stew- art, John Young, James B. Uniarke, and Wilkins. Mr. Wm. Young was also returned without opposition by the County of Juste Au Corps, now designated Inverness. The election contests were enlivened by a tilt between John Young and S. G. "W. Archi' . " ! -several letters addressed by Mr. Young to Mr. Archi. and published in the Nova Scotian, being the most polished and powerful specimens of electioneering invective Ave have ever perused. Shortly after the opening of the session, Mr. Lawrence O'Connor Dojdo moved a resolution to the effect that the practice of the Lesiglativo Council of excluding the people from their deliberations, was not only at variance Avith that of the House of Lords in England, and that of several of the Legislative Councils in the other British North American Colonies, but contrary to the spii-it of the British Constitu- tion, and injurious to the liberties and interests of the country — that while the House had no desire to deny to the Upper branch of the Legislature the right enjoyed by the representatives of the people, and sanctioned by public opinion, of closing the doors during the discussion of questions of order and privileges, and on occasions when JfM iff'- EXCLUSION FROM THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 309 tho public interest might require secret deliberations, yet they should fiiil in their duty if they did not exj)res3 to tho Council the conviction of their constituents, that the system of exclusion pursued for a number of years, and still pertinaciously continued, was fraught with much evil, and had a tendency to foster suspicion and distrust ; that tho House was prepared to pi'ovido for the expenses incurred for the accommodation of the public in tho Council Chamber ; and that the clerk should convoy the resol itions of tho Horse +o the Council, and request their concurrence. Tho resolutions ;)assed unanimously, and a committee was appointed to convey them to tho C )uncil. That body de- clined to hold any conference with tho committee on the subject, as they regarded the action of the House as a breach of the privilege of the Council, and a violation of the Parlia- mentary usage which prohibits one House from interfering with tho internal regulations of the other. The Council contended in a message sent to the Assembly, that tho British Constitution does not confer a right on any person to be present at the deliberations of any branch of the Legis- lature of which he is not a member — that the only mode of gaining admission to the House of Lords is by obtaining special permission from a member of that House, which may be either granted or refused at the pleasure of tho person to whom the application is made. It was, therefore, obvious that sucl. admission must be granted simply as a courtesy, but not claimed as a right. The Council admitted that the two Houses of Parliament refrained from enforcing the standing orders which precluded strangers from being pre" sent at the debates. They would consider the subject, and come to such a decision in reference to it as should bo most conducive to the public interests. The Assembly having dispensed with the services of a chaplain, the Council re- gretted that their deliberations were now to be conducted without offering up their united supplications for the aid m I 310 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. and giiidonco of Him from Whom all good counsels proceed ; but deeply as they deplored this, they felt that they had no right to interfere, and alluded to the subject only to show that if such interference of one House with the regulations of another could be vindicated, Her Majesty's Council might bo more justified in reminding the House of Assembly of the duty of adhering to the ancient and Christian practice of daily and unitedly imploring the Divine Blessing, than the Assembly could be in wishing the Council to adopt a prac- tice new in this country, and which, nowithstanding its many advantages, had its attendant evils whei-ever it had been introduced. On the message of the Council being submitted to the Assembly, 31 r. John Young moved resolutions to tho effect — That in passing the resolutions which had been presented to the Council in reference to the exclusion of the public from the deliberations of the Council, the House had no intention of violating any cf the privileges of the Council, or improperly interfering with their internal regulations ; — that the House deemed it their duty, as representing the wishes and feel- ings of the people, to express temperately the general dissatisfaction which prevailed against exclusion from the Council chamber, and to point to the practice of the House of Lords as in that respect worthy of imitation iu this colony ; — that while the House were anxious to convey this expression of their opinion, they guarded against all dii^respectful language in their communication to the other branch, and adopted the method of conference as being the least objectionable which the rules of Parliament recognized ; — that whether the admission of strangers was to be regarded as an act of courtesy or not, it was undeniable that neither branch of the Legislature in England would be ' stifled in that rigid system of shutting out tho peo- ple from their debates and proceedings, in which the Council had perse- vered, notv.iiLstanding the remonstrances of the people and resolutions entered it' the j jurnals of the Assembly in 183i and 183G ; — that the House, in dispensing w/h the personal attendance of a chaplain, was actuated by the consideration oi '-he impropriety of selecting always for this duty a clergyman of the English Church, in connection with the diflRculty of choosing another without giving cause of otfence, and on that ground the House had decided to commit themselves to the prayers of the pious and faithful generally, and besought all the clergy in the public administra- MR. HOWE S RESOLUTIONS. 311 lion of religion to implore the divine blessing on their labors, that these might be so directed as to promote the peace, happiness, and prosperity of this favored portion of the Br'.lsh Empire. After Mr. Young had concluded his address, Mr. Ilovro delivered a long and masterly speech on the general struc- ture and conduct of the Council, submitting twelve elabor- ately drawn up resolutions as an amendment to those of Mr. Young. These resolutions may bo regarded as a manifesto, and we shall endeavor to present, as nearly as possible in the words of their author, the leading ideas they contain : In the infancy of the colony its government was necessarily vested in a Governor and Council, and even after a representative Assembly waa granted, the practice of choosing members of Council exclusively from the heads of departments, and persons resident in the capital, was still pursue''. and with a solitary exception had been continued till the present time. The practical effect of this system had been in the highest degree injurious to the interest of the country, inasmuch as one branch of the Legislature had been generally composed of men who, from want of local knowledge and experi- ence, were not qualified to decide upon the wants of distant portions of the Province, by which the efforts of the representative branch were in many instances neutralized. Among the proofs that might be adduced of the evi' arising from the imperfect structure of the Council, it was only necessary to refer to the unsuccessful efforts of the Assembly to extend to the outports the advantages of foreign trade ; to the large sum which it was compelled, after a long struggle, to resign for the support of the Customs establishment ; to the difficulties thrown in the way of a liberal system of education, and to the recent abortive attempt to abolish the fees taken by the judges of the Supreme Court. At the last census of the population taken in 1827, the membership of the Episcopal Church was twenty-eight thou- sand, and that of the Dissenters one hundred and fifteen thousand; yet the appointments to the Council were mainly made from the members of the Episcopal Church, so as to secure to that body a decided majority at the Board. There were now in the Council eight members representing the Church, whilst the Presbyterians, who were much more numerous, had but three representatives, and the Roman Catholics — a large body — had but one representative; the Methodists and Baptists being entirely unrepre- sented. The Bishop of the Episcopal Church was a member of Council, whilst the Roman Catholic Bishop, and clergymen of .all other denomina- tions were excluded. The result of this state of things was a general and injurious system of favoritism and monopoly, extending almost through ^MM 312 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ■¥ (■■ €very department of the public service, over whicli the Local Government had no control, thereby vesting in the hands of a part of the population the resources arising from the industry of the whole, and creating invidious distinctions and jealous discontent in the minds of a large number of His Majesty's subjects. Two family connections embraced five members of the Council. Till very recently five others were co-partners in one mercantile concern, and to this circumstance might be attributed the failure of the efforts of the Assembly to fix a standard of value, and establish a sound currency in the Province. The Assembly had for years asserted their right to control the casual and territorial revenues of the country, whether arising from the fees of office, the sale of lands, or the royalty paid upon the produce of the mines ; but their efforts to obtain justice had been unsuccessful. The land s of the Province were in effect mortgaged to pay to the Commissioner a salary out of all proportion to the services he was called upon to perform, while all the mines and minera's of the Province had been leased for sixty years to a wealthy English Company without the consent of the reprcsent- tivea of the people. The presence of the Chief Justice at the Council Board was unwise and injurious, having a tendency to lessen the respect which the people ought to feel for the courts over which he presided. From the warm interest he had always felt in public questions, and particularly in some of those in which the representative branch and the Council had "been diametrically opposed, and from the influence which his position gave him over a numerous bar he had generally been regarded as the head of a political party, and frequently brought into violent conflict with a people Imbued with the truly British idea that judges ought not to mingle in the heats and contentions of politics. The evils arising from the structure of the Council, and the disposition evinced by some of its members to protect their own interests and emoluments at the public expense, were rendered more injurious by the unconstitutional and insulting practice still per- tinaciously adhered to by that body of shutting out the people from their deliberations — a practice which was opposed to that of the House of Lords in England, of the Legislative Councils of Lower Canada, Xew Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and persevered in notwithstand- ing the murmurs and complaints of the people, and the repeated represent- ations and remonstrances of the Assembly. In England, the people by one vote of their representatives could change the Ministry, and alter any course of policy injurious to their interests, but here the Ministry are His Majesty's Council, combining legislative, judicial and executive powers — holding their seats for life, and treating with con- tempt or indifference the wishes of the people, and the representatives of the Commons. In England the representative branch could compel a DEBATE ON MR. HOWE 8 RESOLUTIONS. 313 redres3 of grievances by withholding the supplies. Here they had no such remedy, because the salaries of nearly all the public oIBcers being provided for by permanent laws, or paid out of the casual or territorial revenues, or from the produce of duties collected under the Imperial Acts, a stoppage of supplies, while it inflicted a great injury on the country by leaving the roads, bridges and other essential services unprovided for, wMDuld not touch the emoluments of the heads of departments in the Council, or of any but n few of the subordinate officers of the Government. As a remedy for these grievances it was suggested to pray His Majesty to take such steps — either by granting an elective Legislative Council, or by such other reconstruction of the local government as would ensure respon- Eibility to the Commons, and confer on the people of the Province — what they valued above all other possessions — the blessings of the British con- stitution. The message of the Council which had heon sent to the Assembly by their deputy clerk, was regarded Avith much indignation and gave rise to an acrimonious discussion. Mr- Howe said that the Council dare not continue to exclude the people from their deliberations. "I cannot but feel, sir," he said, " that this iusuUiug message is another proof of the proverb that whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad." Mr. Wilkins said that when the declaration of the 1- juorable mem- ber had found its way through the press it would be impossible for the Council, maintaining the dignity of their position as an independent branch of the Legislature, to come to a decision which would have the appearance of a concession to the menaces of the House. He trusted that having, by their resolutions, expressed the will of the public on the impropriety of keeping the doors of the Council shut, they would not recede from the posi- tion taken, but at the same time would have too much regard for constitu- tional principles to entertain the idea of obtaining their desire by force or violence. Mr. William Toung had read wiiu the utmost astonishment the message of the Council. lie stood there ready to vindicate, not the party expressions which might have escaped the lips of individual members, but every act for which the House was responsible, and which stood recorded on its journals ; and he would appeal to every maa of sound sense ani prudence to attest the sufficiency of the vindication. He came there to reform many flagrant abuses, but prepared for no rash and violent charges —he came not to excite the public temper but to advocate constitutional improvements. He vindicated the action of the House as respectful to the other branch of the Legislature, and wished the message to lie on the table for a few days till the House could form a cool and dispassionate opinion. t ■ V SI ^14 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I \ = Ihe debate which took place on the resohitions proposed by Mr. Howe, was along and animated one, but they were ultimately passed, with certain modifications which it is un- necessary to specify. The Council, stung by the proceed- ings of the Assembly, sent, on the fifth of ^.larch, another messago. in which they drew attention to a resolution on the journals of the House, in which it was declared that the members of His Majesty's Council had evinced a disposition to jirotect their own interests and emoluments at the expense of the public. They hoped the House would rescind this resolution, as the Council felt that if they were to continue to hold communication with the House while t))at resolution remained unrescinded, they would justly forfeit their self- respect, as well as the respect and confide. '.c^ of the public. It therefore now remained with the Hon c ol Assembly to prevent any interruption of the public business by adopting the course recommended. This message created a profound sensation, and when the House met next day, the lobby was filled to overflowing, and the doorways leading from the committee rooms crowded with eager listeners. Mr. Howe rose and said that they had now arrived at a point, which he had to a certain extent anticipated, from the moment he had sat down to prepare the resolutions. In dealing with an enemy who was disposed to take them at a dis- advantage, it was necessary that, like politic soldiers, they should fight the foe with their own weapons. The Council asked to have a particular resolution rescinded, he was prepared to give them more than they asked, and to rescind the whole. This done, they could not refuse to do business, and the revenue would be secured, but he should follow that motion with another, for the appointment of a committee to draw up an address to the Crown on the state of the colony. He said truly that the resolutions had (lone their work— they had elicited the opinion of the House, and told wholesome truths to the Governor, the people, and the Council. They would go home to the Colonial Office and their language could not be mistaken. Mr. Wilkins was opposed to the resolution now submitted. The resolutions at first agreed to by the House were either right or wrong — TUB COUNCIL 8 COUNTER ADDUES8. 315 if right, they ought, if they had any regard for the character of the House, to adhere to them firmly, regardless of conserjuences, because if, being im- pressed with that conviction, they suffered them to be rescinded, they insulted their constituents, and cast an indelible stain upon the cliaraclcr of their representatives— let them not think of so absurd a step a3 rescinding all the resolutions. Mr. Uniacke said tha*- when the resolution which had led to the present crisis was proposed, he had offered an amendment to it, which, if it had been adopted, would have saved the House from the em- barrassing position in which it now stood. Tlie debate ended by Mr. Howe's resolution, for the appointment of a committee to prepare an address, being carried by twenty-eight to fourteen. An address, embodying the facts and agreement contained in the original resolutions, was accordingly prepared and adopted by the House. As it was customary for the whole House to wait on the Governor in important cases, they did so on the present occasion, when His Excellency stated that he would transmit it to the Principal Secretary of State for the colonics, to be laid at the foot of the Throne ; we shall see with what result at a more advanced stage of the narrative. In order if po.ssiblo, to counteract the impression wiiicli the address of the Assembly was sure to produce on the Home Government, the Council determined to frame a counter-address to the Governor in reply to it, accompanied with observations on that of the Assembly. To the com- plaint that members of Council were chosen almost ex- clusively from the heads of departments, and from persons resident in the capital, they replied that the Chief Justice, the Bishop, the Collector of Customs, and the Collector of Imposts were now the only public officers at the Board, and that nearly twenty years had elapsed since the last was appointed, the eight junior members being all gentlemen unconnected with the government by any other office. The opposition -which the Council offered to the extension to the outports of the benefits of foreign trade, was based on the conviction that the mea- sure would have the effect of counteracting the provisions of the Act of the Imperial Parliament for regulating foreign trade — of facilitat- ing smuggling, diminishing the Provincial revenues, injuring fair trade, increasing the expenses of the Customs department, and operating injuri- ously on British and Colonial shipping. The Council professed ignorance of what the Assembly meant in stating that difficulties had been interposed i' r 316 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. ^■i M to the Introduction of a just and liberal system of education, though they must have been aware that the allusion was evidently to the obstructions which, from year to year, they cast in the way of making adequate provi- sion for the maintenance of the Pictou Academy, in direct ond defiant opposition to repeated votes of the House of Assembly. The Council had deferred the consideration of the bills sent by the House to abolish the Chiif Justice's fees, because they could not legislate on a subject which, if brought under their consideration at all, should have been brougiit before them in their judicial, and not in their legislative capacity. All the Chief Justice's predecessors had received these fees, except for two years, during which commutation was given for them to that officer of law out of the public treasury, and no provision was made in these bills for any such commutation. To the complaint that while Dissenters in the Province were much more numerous than the members of the Church of England, nine Churchmen were members of the Council, and only three Presbyterians and one Catholic— leaving the numerous body of Baptists anl others alto- gether unrepresented — the Council stated that they were not the represent- ative branch of the legislature, and if they were, it would be a new principle of representation to classify all the religious sects of the country, and apportion the representatives who were to compose a legislative body, according to the relative number of each. The language of liberality had recently been, that men should be selected for the discharge of political duties without reference to their religious creeds ; but this liberality, it ap- peared, must not be extended to the members of the Established Church. The Council were confident that, with the exception of the Bishops, who rarely attended their meetings, not one gentleman had been called to the Council on account of his being a member of the Church of England, but solely because the Governor for the time being thought him an eligible person. To the complaint that the Bishop of the Established Church had a seat at the Council Board, they replied that the Bishop was, ex officio, a member of the Council by the appointment of His Majesty, because that Church, with its liturgy, and rites and ceremonies, was introduced into the Colony, at its first settlement, by the Royal instructions, and was after- wards established by law, in the first session of the first General Assembly convened. It was true that two family connections comprised five mem- bers of the Council — two of them however, were unconnected with the other three ; and the journals of the House would show that those who are so connected differed with each other in opinion quite as often as any other members. With regard to the complaint that five mambcrs were co-partners of one Banking establishment, it was to be observed that one of them was a member of the Council before that co-partnership was formed ; another THE COUNCIL VINDICATES IT.SELP. 317 was a racrcbant extensively concerned in business, who was shortly after called to tbo Board to lill a vacancy at a time when there woa only one other commercial member of the Council. To the objection made to the Cliief Justice being a member of Council, as tending to lessen the respect which the people ought to feel for the Courts over which he presides, the Council could not agree in tul.' opinion. On the contrary, they thought that the tendency was quite the ri'versc. Xor, if ho were removed, could they see who could bo selected with equal advantage to preside over their deliberations. It was essential for a member of tho legal profession to hold that situation, and tho Council thought none could bo supposed more frco from objection than a person who was at the Iiead of tho judicial establishment of the country, and who was every day in the habit of expounding the existing laws. Tho Chief Justices of the Province had been Presidents of the Council since its formation. The present Chief Justice had for twenty years combined the oflioes of judge and councillor, and no instance had been adduced, even in the debates upon this address, of his ever having allowed political feeling to bias his judicial decisions. Tho usage was in strict analogy with that of the House of Lords, ami of all the Legislative Councils in America, and so far was it from being tho case that all judges ought to bii excluded from the legislature, that at this very time the Justices of tho Supremo Courts in England had seats in the House of Lords. To the objections made to the appointment of tho Collector of Customs, to the Council board, it was alleged that his knowledge of the laws relating to the trade of the Empire, with wliich ho v/as necessarily familiar, rendered him a most valuable member in the discussion of all fiscal questions. With regard to the Collector of Excise, there were not the same forcible reasons for his having a seat at the Board, solely on account of his office, but the Council respectfully submitted whether it would be just to exclude from the Board a gentleman of his respectability in public and private life merely becius? he was, in the lang'iago of the day, an officeholder. The Council felt the embarrassment of thus advocating the continuance of their own body, with all its executive and legislative power;;, and they therefore, in conclusion, observed that the greater part of the members now composing it were selected from tho community, and summoned to the Council board without any solicitation on their part. A largo ma- jority of them were unconnected with the Gcvcrnment by any office, and although not insensible of tho honor conferred upon them by their Sove- reign when he called them to his Council, they were quite willing to retire into private life whenever he should deem it right to dispense with their services ; but while they retained their seats they were urged by a sense :■. !■* 318 nisTonv OF nova scotia. ft' ■!.'' 1 ^ ft f'H I'i !■ •|!| -^-#i of duly to viadicato their own character— to preserve the rights of tho body to which they belonged, and to giro their opinions roapectfully and explicitly to Ilia Mnjesty's Government, on a subject so deeply affecting tho intcrcsta of all the King's subjects in. his Province of Nova Scotia. Tho Governor in answer to tho address stated tliat lio had received it with peculiar satisfaotion, as sinco tho administration of liia Government they had, botli in their executive and legislative capacities, discharged Uioir duty with tho desire to promote the public good. Being of that opinion, ho should havo great pleasure in forwarding to tho Secretary of State for tho Colonics tho observations whicli accompanied their address, with a request that they might bo laid ut the foot of the Throno, at tho same time with tho address of tho llouso of Assembly. In the meantime, tho Council had prudently resolved to make alterations in the Council chamber for tho accommo- dation of persons desirous of hearing tho debates — thas reluctantly and ungracefully conceding what it ought to hixvo granted long ago without any legislative or popular pressure. Dui-ing tho session of 1837, a long discussion took place in regard to a bill introduced for the piu-poso of limiting tho duration of tho Provincial Parliament to four years, instead of seven. Tho bill passed in tho Assembly, but wiiz re- jected by tho Council, but became the law of tho land in the year following. During an animated discussion on tho ques- tion Mr. Young reniarkedthat tho first act passed in England on tho subject was in the reign of Edward tho Third, by which It Avas determined that " a Parliament should bo holden once a year, or oftcner if need be." Annual Par- liaments were the rule till Henry the Eighth, when that capricious and tyrannical monarch introduced tho practice of long Parliaments. In tho year 1694: a bill was passed adopting tho triennial principle, which was acted upon till the rebellion of 1715, when a Parliament convened under the triennial act prolonged by statute its own oxiatenco to THE FISHERIES. 319 seven years ; thus*, said Mr. Young, " taking advantage of the terrors of that unhappy period to estabiisli a most un- jiistitiablo invasion of the rights of the pooplo." The Par- lianxont, wo would observe, had undoubtedly a constitutional right to prolong its own sittings in the critical condition of the country occasioned by the invasion of the Chovalior St. George — the intorforcnce with the people's rights consisted in the passing of a law by which the septennial principle \\'iis permanently established. In 1837 loud complaints were made by the fishermen of Nova Scolia against the infringement of existing treaties by iho citizens of other nations — particularly those of the United States and France. Representations were made by the Assembly to His Majesty's Government on the subject, and five hundred pounds were voted for the inirjiose of arming small vessels, to protect the fishing interests of the Province. Since the discovery of Nova Scotia fishing has been pros- ecuted on its coasts. The fisheries of Newfoundland had been open to all nations from the settlement of the' island until the time of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, who claimed sov- ereignty under the right of original discovery — the fisheries of Nova Scotia continuing long to be the subject of alterca- tion between the British and French governments. On the peace of 1783, a treaty was entered into between Great Britain and the United States, by which liberty was granted to the latter to fish on the Grand Bank, and all the other banks of Newfoundland, also in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but not to dry or cure fish on any settled bay, harbor or creek of Nova Scotia, the 3Iagdalon Islands and Labrador, but as soon as any of them were settled this liberty was to cease, unless continued by agreement with the inhabitants. It required no prophet to fortell that the latitude thus granted would prove almost equal to the cession of all the privileges enjoyed by the Nova Scotian fishermen on their own shores. i.l!:' A - iS -A^J', 320 HIPTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ,! I Tho war of 1812 put an end to this injurious arrangement, and a memorial was forwarded to tho Homo Government in tho following year, praying for the exclusion of foreign fishermen from the shores of the Province. Protracted ne- gotiations followed between Great Britain and the United States as to the fisheries, ending in the convention of 1818, which conceded privileges to the latter power, against which' the people of Nova Scotia energetically and justly protested. The only consolatioi. left to the fishermen of the Jrovince, wus the exclusion, by the convention, of foreigners from ground within thrcu marine miles of the head lands of tlio coast. The fishermen of tho Province complained that not- withstanding this prohibition, those of tho States purchased bait from the inhabitants, set their nets in the harbors of tho Pi'ovince, and in other respects violated the convention. During the oossion of 1837, a despatch was received by the Lieutenant-Governor from Lord Glenelg, in reply to representations made by the Assembly during tho previous session, as to the fees exacted by the Chief Justice and the Puisne judges. Whilst his Lordship refrained from dis- cussing how far the original establishment of these fees was consistent with tho constitution, ho regarded their commuta- tion on two occasions by tho Assembly, as involving a recognition of their legality. Considering this fact, in connec- tion with tho circumstance of their uninterrupted receipt during fifty years. His Majesty could not accede to the proposal of an immediate and uncompensated abolition. In the discussion of Mr. Howe's famous resolutions respecting the constitution of the Council, the subject of the fees was collatei'ally referred to, when Mr. William Young expressed his deliberate opinion tb.'it their exaction, though sanctioned by long usage, was not legal. Towards the close of the year 1830, a crowded public meeting was held in tho Exchange Coffee House for the purpose of petitioning the Legislature for an act of incorpo- INCORPORATION OF HALIFAX. 321 ration for the town of Halifax. The speakers wci o Messrs. Forrester, Bell, M. Tobin, Howe, Alexander McKcnzie, Eobert Lawson, George R. Young and Joseph Jennings. We present an ej)itome of the complaints made against the ex- isting system of municipal management — that the mode of assessment hitherto adopted to defray the enormous current expenses of the town, and the injudicious applicrtion of the taxes thus raised were highly objectionable ; that the local officers having the control of the taxes were ajipointed by the general Government ; that the public property was also in the hands of pei'sons appointed by the Government, and not therefore so well managed as it ought to be — the local taxes being much liighcr than those of other towns of equal population, and that the town accounts wei'c annually j^assed without being audited. Mr. Howe brought his artillery effect- ively to bear on municipal corruption, and the loud notes of complaint and indignation which proceeded from the meeting in the Exchange Coffee House, proved the death knell of the system. Bad, however, as the system was, it found advocates in the House of Assembly. The year ISST was one of great commotion in Canada. Some of the reformers, stung by the reluctance of the British Government to grant the changes in the constitution of the Legislature which both justice and policy demanded, rose in rebellion against tho parent State. The movement was condemned by the groat majority of the Canadian people, and met with no sympathy in Kova Scotia, whore public meetings were held to express attachment to British con- nection. The Assembly met in January, 1838. The Lieutenant- Governor, in his opening address referred to the death of William the Fourth, and the accession to the throne of his niece, the Princess Victoria. He had satisfaction in inform- ing the Legislature that the insuri-^ftion in Lower Canada had been extingui^-hed, and that the traitorous attempt to 322 HISTOBY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ill I I ' ;.v5, i! separate Uppcv Canada from Britain had been signally de- feated by tlie gallant conduct of ibc militia, without other military assistance. He was glad that these rebellious pro- ceedings bad called forth in the Province the strongest expressions of indignation and abhorrence, and that the addresses presented to him declared the unshaken attach- ment of the people of Nova Scotia to llcr Majesty's person and government. Since the last session the Governor bad received most im- portant despatches from Lord Glenelg, the Colonial Secre- tary, copies of which he laid before the House of Assembly. Lord Glenelg expressed satisfaction with the circumstance that the House had rescinded the resolutions they had adopted on the state of the Province, and was happy to perceive that the resolutions were rescinded on the motion of the gentleman who had originally proposed them. With reference to the question raised by the Assembly whether the Chief Justice should retain his seat in the Council, it Avas Her Majesty's pleasure that neither the Chief Justice nor any of his colleagues should sit in the Council — the princijjle to be borne in mind, and practically observed was that all the Judges, including the Chief Justice, should be entirely Avithdrawn from all i^olitical discussions, and from all pariicipatiou in the measures of the Local Govern- ments, or of any persons who might bo acting in opposition to it. In another despatch, of more recent dat'^. Lord Glenelg, in reference to representations by the Assembly, said that the claim of the Assembly to control and appropriate the whole of the public revenue arising in the Province, was frankly admitted by the Queen in the comprehensive and specific form in which that claim was preferred. His Lordship regarded the introduction of capital into the Province by the Coal Mining Company aa a material com- pensation for any injuiy which the inhabitants might have THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILS. 323 sustained by the creation of the Mining Company's interest. On the supposition of the Province having been injured by tlio transaction, the error would now bo repaired to the utmost possible extent by placing the rents and royalties at the disposal of the Pi'ovincial Legislature. The Assembly having deliberatel}' expressed their opinion that the Avelfaro of the Province would be promoted by creating two Councils instead of one, Iler Majesty deferred to their judgment on that question, not, indeed, without some distrust as to the soundness of the conclusion, though con- ""•inccd that it was a topic on which the greatest weight was due to the advice of the representatives of the people. The Lieutenant-Governor was instructed to send to the Secretary of the State for the Colonics, a list of the names of such gentlemen as might aj^pear best qualified to compose the Legislative and Executive Councils of Nova Scotia. His Excellency had suggested that all the members of the pi-esent Council should belong to one or other of the new Chambers. To this his Lordship objected, feeling it his duty to make that selection which he had reason to believe would be least open to just exception, and would afford the most satisfactory proof of the desire of Her Majesty to en- trust the duties to gentlemen entitled to the confidence of the great body of the inhabitants. But the omission of gentlemen who were members of the present Council, evinced no intention to subject them to reproach or dis- credit. To avoid any such suspicion Her Majesty had been pleased to intimate her desire that they should retain their present rank in society on retiring into private life. Of the Executive Council not more than a fourth wore to be public officers ; the members were to be drawn from different pro- fessions, and different parts of the Province, and they were to bo selected, not only Avithout reference to distinctions of religious opinions, but in such a manner as to afford no 824 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. iii! plausible ground for the suspicion that the choice was in- fluenced by that consideration. In selecting men for the Executive and Legislative Councils, Sir Colin Campbell, so far from acting in strict conformity with the explicit instructions he had received, appointed seven churchmen to the Executive Council, and ten to the Legislative — there being thus a clear majority of churchmen over all other denominations in both Councils. To this gross violation of the spirit of the royal instructions, Mr. Howe called the attention of the Assembly, and intimated his determination, in the event of no other member moving in the matter, of submitting resolutions on the subject. In the meantime, the Lieutenant-Governor had received a des- patch intimating the appointment of Lord Durham as Captain-General of the Province, and requiring immediate alterations in the construction of the Councils — the Execu- tive being limited to nine, and the Legislative to fifteen members. The newly formed Councils were thus dissolved, and the Session siiddenly terminated, previous to which, however, the following resolution was adopted : That a Com- mittee be appointed to wait on the Lieutenant-Governor, and to express the regret of the House that the liberal views of Her Majesty's Government, as conveyed in the despatch communicated to the Assembly, have not been carried out in the late appointments to the Legislative Council ; and a Committee was in the meantime appointed to correspond with Lord Durham, and, if necessary, to proceed to Quebec for the purpose of conferring with his Lordship, who was now Governor-General, on questions relating to the interests of the Province. In a few days the new Sessi jn was opened, and the busi- ness of the House resumed. An address to Her Majesty was proposed and adopted, with slight modification -i 'oy the House, reflecting on the conduct of the Lieutenant-Governor in the matter of appointments to the Legislative Council, LORD DURHAM RESIGNS. 325 but which was sweotned by the sentence that most of the evils comphiined of had arisen from causes that existed be- fore Ilis Excellency came to the colony, and it would be expecting too much to require that they should bo removed in a single year imdor the most impartial adtninistration. Sir Colin, however, did not relish the action of the Assembly, and in closing the session said, that it was both his duty and inclination to give the fullest effect to his instructions, but that the House must first make provision for the payment of the Legislative Council, in a similar manner as they paid themselves, before individuals could be induced to come from the countiy and give their time and labor to legislative duties. It was impossible to give satisfaction to all. Some persons were no doubt dissatisfied that they were not named to the Council j but as he was responsible to Her Majesty for the selection he had made, ho should firmly resist any attempt to encroach on the Eoyal prerogative, or to influence him in the fulfilment of his duty. Lord Dm-ham soon after his appointment as Governor- General of British North Amei'ica, resigned his post in con- sequence of attacks made upon him in the British Parlia- ment by Lord Brougham and others. Delegates from the Lower Provinces, headed by the Hon. Mr. Johnston, of Halifax, waited on his Lordship by invitation, for the pur- pose of conferring in reference to matters affecting the pros- jjerity of the Provinces. In referring during the interview to his treatment by the British Government, who had de- serted him, he was overcome by his feelings, and had to retire for a little to a distant part of the room. The griev- ances which the delegation complained of were set forth in a communication addressed by Mr. William Young, as one of the deputies, to Lord Durham — the principal being the administration of the Crown Lands, the systematic encroach- ments of the Americans on the fisheries, the expense of the Customs establishment, the largo salaries of some of the ui. ^26 niSTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ■^Jl^'-W" /•, I'll I i«l i:. 1^ officers of Government — the Secretary of the Province hav- ing one thousand pounds sterling a year, besides holding the lucrative office of Ecgistrar of Deeds, and the comjiosition, as amended, of the Executive and Legislative Councils. During an interesting debate in the Assembly, the as- tounding intelligence was received that New Brunswick was invaded from the State of Maine. A simultaneous burst of indignation broke forth from the Assembly. All business was instantly susjiended — all party divisions forgotten, a numerous committee ai)pointed, and the llouse adjourned for a few hours that suitable resolutions might be framed. The House on resuming business voted one hundred thousand jjounds, and put eight thousand men of the militia at the disposal of the Commander-in-chief to meet the emergency. Multitudes thronged the avenues to the House, and greeted the resolutions with enthusiastic ardour. At this time Great Britain and the United States were on the very verge of war, which, however, was happily avoided. During the session of 1839, the Assembly appointed two delegates, Mi\ Herbert Huntington and Mr. AYilliam Young, to proceed to England to represent to Her Majesty's Govern- ment the views and wishes of the House, and of the people of Nova Scotia with respect to certain proposed reforms; and the Legislative Council appointed as delegates from that body the Hon. Alexander Stewart, and the Hon. Louis M. Wilkins to defend the old system of government. On the arrival of the delegates of the Assembly in London, they had an interview with Lord Normandy and Mr. La- bouchere, when they submitted an address from the Assem- bly to Her Majesty, and certain resolutions adopted during the last session. The delegates carried on a voluminous correspondence with the Colonial office. Treasury, Board of Ti"ade, Post Office and Customs. The following concessions were made through the advocacy of the delegates : Cum- berland, PaiTsboro', Windsor, Shelburnc and Lunenburg LORD DUIIIIAM S REPORT. 327 were declared free ports. The Customs and Excise depart- ments were combined, 60 that all duties might bo collected at the Customs, and the necessity of double entries, bonds and securities be dispensed with. By this latter improve" ment about fifteen hundred pounds a year wera saved to the Province. The annual grant of fifteen hundred pounds for the support of the Post Office department was not to bo re- quired — leaving the Assembly to provide for any further extensions that the exigencies of the country might demand. A bill was prepared by the delegates regulating the granting of lands which was sanctioned by the Government, by Avhich all actual settlers \vere to be allowed to purchase land as low as one shilling sterling per acre. On his return to England, Lord Durham submitted to Par- liament his celebrated report on Canadian affairs — one of the ablest State documents bearing on colonial policy ever pro- duced. A series of resolutions condemnatory of it were passed by the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia— one of them being the following : That a federal union of the Bri- tish Korth American colonies would prove an extremely difficult if not an impracticable measure; that the cxjieri- ment, if practicable, would be eminently dangerous to the interests of the mother country as well as those of the col- onies ; that its tendency would be to separate the colonies from the parent state, by imbueing the rising generation with a fondness of elective institutions, to an extent incon- sistent with the British constitution, that it would involve the lower colonies which ai'e now contented and peaceable, in the political discussions of Lower Canada, and add greatly to their local and general expenditures, without pro- ducing any adequate benefit to them, to the (Janadas, or to the Empire at largo. During the years 1838 and 1839 some of the public men in the Pi'ovince were most energetic in their efforts to secui-e steam communication between Halifax and Europe. While ),', mm '' ': ovinces, in the facilities afforded for intercommunication between them and Europe, and the stimulus thus given to commerce and im- migration. In 1839 the rail way between the Albion mines and load- ing ground belcw New Glasgow was finished, and the first locomotive engines ever erected in Nova Scotia were em- ployed upon it. There was a feast in celebration of the event at which upwards of two thousand guests sat down, a Nova Scotia newspaper remarking, that on the occasionj there was not an unemployed fiddle or bagpipe from Cape^ John to the Garden of Eden. III): ^r ,i . { 'iB wijiiuui r. ff w ^ ;wj ? j ' ,v'. ■■.■•si^\S'M,^ ^ CHAPTER XV. Biographical pkctchca of S, G. W. ArchiLaUl, Tiitiinas C. Hulilurton, Charles R. Fairbanks and Ilujjh Bell. Among tho ablo men of the period of which wo arc now treating, Samuel George AVilliani Archibald particularly distingui.'ihed himt^olf, for under nuiny disadvantages ho raised himself to tho highest rank in the Lcgislatui-o, and a learned profession. Mr. Archibald was born at Truro, on tho fifth of February, 17YY, and was tho fifth child of Samuel Archibald, son of Major David Archibald, by liis wife Eachcl Todd. In tho year 17G0, about sixty families, chiefly Irish Protestants, emigrated from New England to Colchester county. Of tho number were Jamc.^, Thomas, Samuel and David Archibald from Londonderry, New Hamp- shire. As early as 1763, Justices of tho Poaco wero ap- pointed and militia organized in tho township. David Archibald, grandfather of the subject of this notice, was tho first justice as well as the first militia officer in Truro. Ho is known and is now spoken of as Major David Archibald. IIo was one of the earliest representatives of tho toAvnship in the General Assembly of the Province. As a magistrate ho was impartial, but extremely excentric in his administra- tion of justice. It was no uncommon thing f jr him to cane of- fenders Avith his own hands. Having found two boys belonging to the settlement stealing apples on a Sunday from his garden, he locked them in his cellar. At their parents' request ho set them at liberty, but on tho condition that tho boys should bo brought before him on Monday, when he tied them to one of tho trees from which the apples had been taken, and caned them himself. Some time after Mr. Archibald's appointment as a justice, two others were associated with him in the commission of tho peace, when Captain. n t 332 niSTOR I" NOVA SCOTIA. ,;! V t-'' r^ ■' .rt John McKeon, an early settler, was heard to say in the publichousc, that there were one hundred magistrates in Truro. That cannot be, said a by- stander, for there are scarcely that uumbc of men in the place, when Mr. McKecn bet a pint of branJyr that his assertion was correct, and asked the party challenged to name the justices, and ho would count iheni. David Archibald was Srat counted when lIcKeen said, " one." The second squire of the village was ii:"n mentioned, when McKeen said, "you don't call him ii magistrate, put him Jown as a cypher." The third and only re- maining justice of the peace was thci. reterrcd to, when lIcKeen said, " he is no better than the last, consider him as nu"ght, and I have my hundred; and now for the brandy." While yet a lad, S. G. W. Archibald lost his father on the island of Neves, whither he had gone as supercargo or owner of a freight, and hid mother was thus left a widow, in comparatively poor circumstances, to rear a family of six children. Many years afterwards, in addressing his constituents at Truro, at a time when his official position squired residence in Halifax, Le did not deem it beneath his dignity to refer to this period of Lis life. "I look forward," he said, " to that time as the greatest pleasure of my life, when I can come and live with you again where my mother nursed mo in her adversity." While still young, his grandtather, Major David, took him to bring nim up, and fo"nd him a troublesome youth to train. Little " yammy' WPS much giveii to play and jokes. Uis jokes not unfrequently evinced icmarkable cleverness, but were sometimes of such a practical nature as to bring him in contact with his grandfathers cane. On one occasion bis love for mischief caused a more severe punishment. One morning he es- pied a litter of pigs by Archibald's Mill, near where a Baptist chapel has since been built. To humor a sudden thought he set tho mill in motion, caught one "of the pigs, and put it over the water wheel, and in so doing was taken over himself, by which operation he had two or three limbs broken. He often referred to the circumstance in after life, and spoke of himself as "having gone through the mill." On one occasion an old Scotchman replied, " Ye're nane the waur o' that, Sammy— there's bran in ye yet." When he had grown towards manhood, he left his grandfathcrj and went with some others to Upper Stewiacke to commence a farm on his owu ac- count. He soon found that making a farm out of green wood was for Lira no congenial pursuit, and threw down the hand-spike, with the determina- tion to follow some calling more in accordance with his taste. Shortly afterwards we find him a student in Aadover ; then for a time at Harvard University, ^vhere he laid the foundation of a store of useful knowledge, which, with his natural genius, brought him rapidly into noticg in another calling. On returning to Nova Scotic. Mr. Archibald studied law in the office of SKETCH OP 8. a. W. ARCIinULI). 333 office of the late Mr. Ilubio, and on tlio sixteenth of April, 1805, wa3 admitted an attorney and barrister of the Supreme Court. In ISOO he was returned to the House of Assembly as one of the members for Halifax county, and con- tinued to represent the town till l«3r), when the county was uivided into Halifax, Colchester and Pictou counties, from which time till his appoint- ment as Master of the Rolls and Judge of the Court of Vice Admiralty, on the twenty-ninth of April, 1814, he was returned as county member for Colchester. In 1821 Mr. Archibald visited England where ho was well received. The Marquis of Lansdowne was so much taken with his nn e County o' Colchester, by Mr. Israel L'jnijwurtli, of Truro, in tlio pi Bseitioa o£ King's College. SKETCH OF JUDGE HALIBURTON 335 ^hey are writtea with ease and elegance, and constitute a most valuable contribution to the literature of the Province. In 1835 Mr. Haliburton began a series of papers which appeared in the Nova Scotian, of which Mr. Howe was editor and proprietor. Sam Slick the Olockmaker immediately attracted attention. The character proved as original and amusing as Sam Weller in more modern times; " Samivel " amuses only, Slick both amuses and instructs. Rarely do we find in any character, not excepting the best of Scott's, the same degree of originality and force, cc^ubined with humour, sagacity, and sound sense, as wo find in the Olockmaker. Industry and perseverance are effectively inculcated in comic story and racy narrative. In the department of instructive humour Haliburton perhaps stands unrivalled in English literature. When about to leave for England, Judge Haliburton applied for the pension which b/id been previously granted to him as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas— justly urging as an additional claim his services as the first historian of the Province, For some years the claim was resisted. On a decision being given in his favor, an appeal was made to England, when the Judicial Committee decided in his favor. It must be a subject of regret that a man so distinguished should have experienced any difficulty in securing a legal right to a paltry pension of three hundred pounds a year. How many jnscrupulous sycophants succeed in sucking from the pockets of the people three times that amount ? Ih 1859 Mr. Haliburton entered the Imperial Parliament as the Conservative member for the borough of Launceston. At Isleworth, near London, where he resided till his death, which took place on the twenty-seventh of August, 1865, he was popular, making himself useful by lectures in behalf of public institutions, and by the substantial aid rendered to charitable objects. His remains lie in the chuchyard of Isleworth. Charles R. Fairbanks was another able man of this period. He was a native of the City of Halifax, and was born on the twenty-fifth of March, 1790. At an early age he was sent to the academy at Windsor, at that time under the management of the late Rev. Pr. Cochran, who afterwards became Vice-President of the College. With many other pupils who subsequently occupied prominent s*u.tions in this Province and elsewhere, Mr. Faiibanks acquired the eF.rlier rudiments of education, including the Latin and Greek languages, under the abls guidance of Dr. Cochran, and at the early age of fourteen was declared fully qualified for admission as a student in the College. The statutes at that period, however, restricted the entry of students to the age of sixteen years. Excluded by a positive rule, which tlie better judgment of later Governors has modified, and at an age somewhat too early to commence his studies for the legal profession, he was sent by his parents to a seminary at -I m < i.' ! 336 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. ill- :■ M ■?S! fyll Quebec, where he remained some time, during which he acquireJ a knowledge of the French language, which he spoke with fluency on his return to Nova Scotia. He possessc J a rems'-La' 'e talent for the acquisition of the modern languages, and though ho did not speak others with the same fluency as French, he was, at a subsequent period of his life frequently engaged in translating documents used as evidence iu the Ad- miralty Courts, as well as for other purposes. After his return from Quebec, Mr. Fairbanks commenced the study of law in the office of the late Simon Robie, one of the most di8tine:uished bar- risters of that period, and who had a large practice. At the f^xpiration of the usual period of service to qualify a student for admission to the bar, he passed his e.vamination, and entered upon the duties of his profession in the year 181 1. A good share of the professional business of that period was soon realized, and until the year 1834 it continued to increase, giving full employment not only to the regular students, but to others employed in his office. His practice at the bar ceased at the date last mentioned, by his appoint- ment to the oflice of Judge of the Court of Vice-Admiralty, and Master of the Rolls— the duties of which he di«chfirged for a number of years till his death. In the year 1821, Mr. Fairbanks was elected one of the representatives to the Legislature for the City of Halifax. He was an active and laborious member, and took a prominent part in the discussion and furtherance of all measures of importance. His speeches bear evidence of the care with which he studied every public question, and the extent of his general knowledge. In the discharge of his judicial duties he was painstaking and faithful — his judgments being carefully prepared, and the causes disposed of with as little delay as possible. Although apparently of a strong constitution, he did not hold his appoint- ments as Judge and Master of the Rolls for many years. His health gave way about the year 1840, and he died in 1841, at the comparatively early age of fifty-one, leaving a large family and many friends to regret his early removal from a position, which he had attained by his talents and valuable services to his native Province.* ♦ At this time, writes a Viilued con'Oi?pnudent, there wore four romarknbly clever men at the bar,— nnincly, S. G. W. Archibald, Chftfl. R. Fairbanks, Jamoa W. John- Eton and Wlllioin B. Bliss — each of whom had a peculiar talent. For a cause requiring a thorough knowledge of mercantile law and shipping, including tho usages and cus- toms of merchants as rcpurds bills of lading, proniiseory noteF, and all matters con- nected with shipping, and where a great deal of research was necessary, Fairbanks wns the man ; ho was hard working and indefatigable. In suits where tho questions at issues turned upon special pleailing, and the dry points of law. Bliss was considered the firet counsel ; he never hod much practice as an attorney, but was engaged as counsel ia SKETCH OF C. R. FAIRBANKS AND HUGH BELL. 337 1 I i P» • j .' I Among the public men of the period tlie name of Hugh Bell is entitled to ao honorable place. Mr. Bell represented the coi- stituency of Halifax, in the Provincial Assembly, from 1835 to 1840 ; shortly after vrhich he was elected to a seat in the Legislative Council, lie was a member of the Administration of which Joseph Howe and James B.Uniacke were the leading spirits, from 1848 to 1854, and continued to take an active part in public affairs till the date of his death, at an advanced age, in 1800. At a time when Nova Scotia was distinguished among the Provinces by politicians of marked ability, the Parliamentary records show that Mr. Bell was regarded by his contemporaries as a man of broad views, and more than ordinary attainments. Though a zealous and consistent adherent of the Liberal Party, Hugh Bell was better known, however, as a philanthropist. His name deserves to be remembered with gratitude by the people of Nova Scotia, for the efforts he put forth to ameliorate the condition of the insane. The noble establishment at Mount Hope, Dartmouth, known as the Provincial Hospital for the Insane, was largely indebted to Hugh Bell for its inception ; and, indeed, it was mainly owing to his persistent energy, and his own personal liberality, that the Legislature was induced to project that Institution on a scale which many at the time deemed extravagant, but which subsequent experience has proved to be not more than adequate to the wants of the Province. r I iilmost all important suits. Ho was an excellent speaker in addressing tlieCoxirt or jury, nudcoild never be taken by surprise, lie was considered a most o.\cellent and upriglit lawyer. In actions where law, equity, and hardsliip were mixetl up togotlier, and whore full scope was presented for an appeal to tlio feelings of a jury, Johnston was the man. He was a powe-iul speaker, and would never omit the minutest point, or piece of evidence in putting his ease. If there was a case to be put before a jury of which, apparently, no defence could be made, Arctiibald was the man. He would amuse the jury with anecdotes and witticisms nntil tlicy forgot tlic merits of the case, and tlius frequently obtained verdicts which no otlier counsel could hope to get. \nicn it was known that he was to adOress the jury tlie Court Uouse was always crowded. CHAPTEE XVI. \M cIBB Political agitation for responsible Government — The Colonial Secre- tary's despatch to Sir John Harvey — Howe's resolutions relative to responsible Government — The Lieutenant-Governor refuses to receive them — Controversy between the Governor and the As- sembly — The Assembly ask for his removal — Political meeting in Halifax — Speech of the Colonial Secretary in the British Parlia- ment—Celebration of the Queen's marriage — Arrival of the first mail steamer at Halifax — Visit of the Governor-General — Recall of Sir Colin Campbell, and appointment of Viscount Falkland as Governor — Appointment of Messrs, Howe and McNab as Execu- tive Councillors — Departure of Sir Colin Campbell — Establish- ment of responsible Government — General election of 1840— Relative strength of the parties — Celebration of the Reform vic- tory in Halifax — Mr. Howe elected Speaker of the House — Open- ing address by the Governor — Incorporation of Halifax — Session of 1843 — Election of Mr. William Young as Speaker — Mr. Annand's resolutions relative to collegiate institutions — Public meeting in Halifax on the subjc; . — Speech by Mr. William Stairs — Advantages of college education — Folly of supporting denomin- ational colleges — Dissolution of the Assembly by Lord Falkland — Mr. Almon receives a seat in the Council— Resignation of Messrs. Howe, Uniacke and McXab — Session of 1844 — Debate on the reply to the addres.s — Defeat of a want-of-confidence motion- Mr. Howe's connection witli the "Morning Chronicle" — Assem- bly pass a resolution favorable to the annexation of Cape Breton to Nova Scotia — Lord Falkland's despatch to the Colonial Secretary relative to Mr. Howe's conduct — The reply — Mr. Howe accused of writing against the Governor — The Governor takes a tour through the Province — His reception — Agitation for responsible Government in Canada — Banquet given to the Hon. William Young in Toronto— Rcsijonsible Government in New Brunswick. The year 1840 was ono of iiitonso political agitation in Nova Scotia. The Hubject of rosponBiblo government waa keonlj m RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. 339 discussed, and meetings were held in almost all the princi- pal towns in the Province, at which resolutions expressive of the determination of the people to secure such govern- ment were passed. In October, 1839, Lord John Eussell, who was Colonial Secretary, addressed a despatch to Sir John Hai'vey, the Governor of New Brunswick, which was justly regarded by Mr. Howe and the leading reformers of Nova Scotia as a practical concession of the principle of re- sponsible government, which had been so ably advocated in Lord Durham's report, and which accorded with the in- structions sent by Lord Glenelg to Sir Colin Campbell in 1837, but which that gentleman, with mulish stubborness, had disregarded. Lord John Eussell drew attention to the tenure O) which public offices in the gift of the crown were held in the British Colonies — the Governor's commission being revoked whenever the public service was supposed to require a change, whilst the commissions of all other public officers were rarely recalled except for positive misf'ondiict, The Governor of New Brunswick was now given to under- stand that not only such officers would be called upon to re- tire from the public service as often as public policy required a change, but that a change in the person of the Governor would bo considered as a sufficient reason for any alteration which his successor might deem it expedient to make in the list of public functionaries, subject, of course, to the future confirmation of the Sovereign. On receiving this important despatch. Governor Harvey issued a circular to the heads of the civil departments, and members of the Executive Council in New Brunswick, in which he hailed the despatch in ques- tion as conferring a new, and in his judgment an improved constitution ujion these Colonies — the document being re- .gardcd in the same light in Canada, and the Lower Pro- vinces. As Sir Colin Campbell and the Executive Council ignored the instructions of the Colonial Secretary, the House of 340 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ( ■• f: iff* '' 4 -n I >^- AsBombly wero determined to offoc t the necessary reform in a thoroughly constitutional manner. Mr. Howe accordingly submitted to the Assembly four resolutions of the following import: — That for many years the best interests of the Province had been jeojiardized, and its progress retarded by the want of harmony between the different branches of the government ; that in every effort put forth by the House to improve the institutions and purify the administration of the country, it had been met by an influence which had wielded the whole power and patronage of the government, to thwart the wise policy avowed by Her Majesty's minis- ters, and that in the opinion of the House the Executive Council, as at present constituted, did not enjoy the confi- dence of the country. These resolutions passed by a majority of thirty to twelve ; and were submitted, with an addi-ess to the Governor, by the whole House. The Gover- nor, in his reply to the address, stated the subject with which it dealt had in all essential respects been already brought under the notice of Her Majesty's Government, in resolutions of the House of Assembly passed in its last session ; and that, after full consideration, the Government had come to a decision, which he had submitted to the House, and having no reason to believe that any alteration had taken place in the sentiments of Her Majesty's government, ho did not feel at liberty to adopt any other course than to re- fer the House to the despatch already alluded to. The House immediately called the attention of the Governor to the despatch of the Colonial Secretary as being of more recent date than the one to which he had referred, and as giving His Excellency the power to rbmodel the Executive Council, by making such changes as wero required to ensure harmony between the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government. The House was at a loss to conceive any motives of public policy more sufficient to render an appli- cation of the principle of Lord John Eussell's despacth to SIR COLIN CAMPBELL AND THE COUNCIL. 341 .i»f-, Nova Scotia advisable, than the fact that a majority of thirty to twelve of the memborH of the representative branch had avowed their want of confidence in officers expressly re- ferred to by the Colonial Secretary. They had declared it impossible to deal wisely with measures of great impor- tance to the government of the country, until confidence between the Executive and the Legislature should be estab- lished, and that while the only efficient representative of the local government — Mr. Uniackc — had resigned his seat in the Council, no man of influence in the Assembly could be found to devote his talents to the service of the government, while a majority of the Executive Council persisted in re- taining their seats, and His Excellency declined to exercise the power confided to him. The Governor was also re- minded by the House that Sir John Harvey recognised the despatch of Lord John EusscU as conferring a now and im- proved constitution on the colonics, and had expi'cssed his determination to act upon it ; and that the Govei'nor General had intimated that he had received Her Majesty's commands to administer the government of these Provinces in accord- ance with the well understood wishes and interests of the people, and to pay to their feelings, as c:q>. -^ssed through their representatives, the deference justly due to them. His Excellency replied that the course suggested would practi- cally recognise a fundamental change in the colonial consti- tution, which he could not discover in the despatch of the Colonial Secretary. The only course now open to the Assembly was to present an address to Her Majesty, praying for the removal of Sir Colin Campbell from the Governorship of the Province, and this course the House reluctantly, though i-nsolutely, rosolved to adopt. The address was in every respect an admirable document, reasonable in its demands, and ii-resistible in its arguments, breathing a spirit of loyalty in combination with that of determined constitutional resistance to the back E^, J 342 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. parlor system of government, to which the country had boco so long subjected, and for the abolition of it which it had so earnestly contended. "We give the two concluding paragraphs of the addres : — ■ I fj "It is true that Nova Scotia is a small colony, and that your Majesty may, if you see fit, govern it by the strong hand of power, relying in no degree upon the affectionate attachment of its Inhabitants ; but it is also true that in no portion of your Majesty's dominions are the powers of the Crown and the rights of the people better understood : and in none is there a more determined spirit of resistance by all constitutional means, to a system of government founded on mere favoritism or injustice. From the position the people of Nova Scotia occupy in the centre of the Lower Col- onies, and availing themselves of the influence which their loyalty, their intcUigence, their firmness and their moderation have acquired for them among the population of British North America, they will never cease to appeal to the public opinion around them — to contend against that system, and to vindicate and a.'sert by every means in their power, their rights as British subjects. " That your Majesty will join with this House in obviating the ne- cessity for such appeals — that you will repress these absurd attempts to govern Provinces by the aid, and for the exclusive benefit of minorities, this Assembly confidently believe, and in asking your Majesty to remove Sir Colin Campbell, and send to Nova Scotia a Governor who will not only represent the Crown, but carry out its policy with firmness and good faith, the representatives of Nova Scotia perform o painful duty to their Sovereign, and to their constituents, but recommend the only remedy which they fear can now be applied to establish barmory between the Executive and Legislature of this Province." Tho representatives of the town and county of Halifax — Joseph Howe, William Annand, Thomas Forrester and Hugh Bell — invited their constituents to meet them in Mason Hall on the tiiirtieth of March, IS-IO, at twelve o'clock, as a meet- ing had been called by their opponents to condemn the con- duct of the House of Assembly in reference to the Governor and the Executive Council, in terms which precluded their attendance, and which they presumed were intended to pre- vent fair and fidl discussion upon a great public question. The people flocked in large numbers to tho hall, which was wo— lBII!W >lwi>MK I ' .i y^ ' Mf ' -IWLHI-BB g'rT^3ffii ;,'il The political opponents of Sir Colin Campbell and his ad- ministration cherished no vindictive feeling towards him. In theii* intercourse with him he had been always pleasant and courteous, but the old soldier belonged to an unbending school, and was utterly unfitted by habit and training for ; • 1 1 346 IIISTORV OF NOVA SCOTIA. m ■ > < I i: the position which ho occupied. IIo deomod it a point of honor to defend the Executive Council, and well nigh sacri- ficed his honor in his infatuated resistance to tl»e explicit instructions which emanated from the Colonial OflSco. Mr. Annaml informs us that passing out from Lord Falkland's first levee, Mr. Ilowe bowed to Sir Colin, and was moving on when Sir Colin called to him, and extending his hand exclaim- ed, " We must not part • i Lhat way Mr. llowo, wo f night out our difterencos of opinion honestly; you have acted like a man of honor. There is Hi/ hand." It was shakcu in all sincerity. This intorostinf and touching incident, evincing as it did a manly hoari, overs a multitude of sins, and efiectually prevents severe strictures on a gubernatorial course which otherwise merited unqualified condemnation. As evidence of the personal popularity of Sir Colin, it is only necessary to state that on his departure a procession was formed by the members of the St. George's, North British, and Highland Societies, and that the horses drawing the carriages in which he was being conveyed to the sloamer were unharnessed, and the carriage drawn by members of these societies. Res])Oiisiblo government was now firmly established. Four years ago a council of twelve persons chosen from the capital, with one exception, formed the second branch of the legislature. They sat like an interesting family party in private, the Governor having no power to increase their number. The whole executive power of the government was vested in these men, Avho were never required to appeal to the people, holding as they did their office for life, as the advisers of the Governor, and the rulers of the Province. Under Lord Falkland's government, the Legislative Council consisted of twenty members, nine of whom represented the rural districts — their deliberations being conducted with open doora. Of the ten men who composed the Executive Council, six were members of the representative branch, ■» OENEUAI- ELCOTION. 347 ' I and wore consequently obliged onco in four years to Holicit the HutVragcs of the i)eoi)lo — a wholoHomo constitutional chock boir.g thus vested in the constituencies. • The House having boon dissolved, the winter of the yea;* 1840 found the Province in the excitement of an' election, in Avhich the reformers maintained their ground. Halifax re- turned Ilowe and Annand, McNab and Forrester, 8. tr. '»V. Archibald was returned for Colchester. In the conservative interest, Holmes, Blackader and another took their stats for Pictou. Huntington and Clemens w^ere returned as refor- mers for Yarmouth, AV. A. Henry for Sydney, and W, Young for Inverness, in the same interest. J. B. Uniackc was returned for Cape Breton, and the Hon. E. M. Dodd, for the Township of Sydney. In the last House the reformers numbered thirty-one, and the defenders of Sir Colin Campbell, seventeen — the majority for reform varying according to the nature of the questions at issue. In the now House nearly the same relative strength of parties was maintained. In Halifax the triumph of reform in the town and county was celebrated by a public dinner, to which Messrs. Hugh Bell, Joseph Howe, Wra. Annand, Hon. James McNab and Thomas Forrester were invited as guests. The chair was occupied by the Hon. Michael Tobin, Mr. Wm. Stairs being Vice-President. The principal speakers were, Mr. Howe, Mr. Bell, Mr. Forrester, and Mr. George R Young. Mr. Stairs proposed the toast of the British Constitution, with the following simile: "It rose, like the coral islands, by slow degrees, amidst storms of human intellect and passion — time but extends its borders, developes its beauties, and increases its strength." The new House met on the third of February, 1841 when Mr. Howe was elected Speaker — beating Mr. Uniacke only by a majority of two — in the place of Mr. S. 348 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. |4 \ ■- 11 ■ i 4-- m 1 Wm""'^ ■M Kl»»il ' ' ' i*^ |ffil^.n ; G. W. Archibald, who had resigned in conformity with a rule, that a crown officer was ineligible for the post. LferJ Falkland delivered a long speech in opening the Assembly, +he most Important feature of which was the advocacy of the principle of general assessment in the formation of a scheme of Provincial education — a principle which, however, the House did not deem it prudent in the meantime, to adopt. But the Assembly amendv!\ 349 without d itself into a Committee on the generr.! state of the Province, Mr. Annand moved, in an able speech, a series of resolutions bearing upon the endowment of collegiate institutions. These resolutions condemned the general principle of endowment on which the Assembly had hitherto acted. Four colleges were now drawing largely upon the resources of the Province, without one of them being efficient. Petitions were laid on the table, praying for the endowment of the other denominational colleges, which could not be consistently refused. To continue the present grants, and endow the two institutions, now applicants for aid, would require at least two thousand six hundred pounds yearly, and this sum, added to seventeen hundred pounds given to the acidemies of the Shire Towns, would make an amount equal to four thousand three hundred pounds devoted to the edxtcation of the rich, while only about eight thousand pounds could be afforded for the general education of the people. It was contended that one good college, free from sectarian control, and open to all denominations, would be adequate to t'-io requirements of a population of thi-ee hun- dred thousand. Mr. Fairbanks opposed the resolutions, proposing an amendment, having for its object the main- tenance of the old sj'stem, but it was lost by a vote of twenty- six to twenty-one. Meetings were held in Colchester, Pic- tou and Hants, approving of the action of the Assembly. A large meeting was held in Halifax — the Hon. Mr. Bell occupied the chair. Mr. William Stairs delivered a speech I'epleto with telling facts and sound arguments, advocating the establishment of one efficient college in the Province : "I do not intend," he said " to descant on the exquisite pleasures which learning confers, or upon the personal resources, dignity and independence derived from it — the mastery which it gives over the art and science of nature, leading from naturo — as has been beautifully said — to nature's God, or to its fitness to prepare the mind both for its duties here, and an inherit- ance hereafter. These are subjects for another field, but I put it gravely to this meeting, assembled as we arc to found and perpetuate a system best X 350 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. • adapted to open c ad perfect the Provincial mind, and thus to promote the virtue, the skill, md the happiness of the peopU— from what cause has it sprung that Pi ussia and Holland on the continent of Europe, and Scot- land in the United Kingdom, occupy so decided a superiority over the nations around them? To bring the illustration nearer home, I ask how it is that the people of New England enjoy so unquestionable a pre-eminence over those of the sister States in the Union ? It has arisen from their ad- mirable system of education, and from their having introduced into thidr common schools, academies and colleges all the improvements and princi- ples which have been discovered by the intelligence of modern times. From the operation of these systems have sprung their skill in manual labor, elevation in public morality, wealth in all the products of intellect which give richness and embellishment to social life. To extend the benefits of these systems, and to place Xova Scotia upon an equality with countries which sustain them is one of the objects of the present assembly." The Bentimenls thus so folicitoiisly expressed are equally applicable to the present time. There is unquestionably in oiu* day a tendency on the ])art of parents to over-estimate the advantages to be derived from the mere accumulation of money, indcpendentl}' of the cultivation and expansion of the intellectual and moral faculties. Hence we find that the talent of our youth is directed to that object so exclusively us to preclude that degree of mental culture and attainment in knowledge, which is so essential to enable them to fulfil the great object of life by exerting a potent influence on others for good. How is it, moreover, that in our ])ublic men, with few exceptions, we find but the semblance of the talent and public spirit by Avhich the period of which we are treating was distinguiijhed ? This arises, we venture to say, not from the absence of natural intellectual capacity, but mainly from two causes — the want of early scholastic train- ing, and the absence of that stimulus to mental activity and strength which a large collegiate institution can only impart, and to the fact that our youth of most promise are set to business in boyhood and led to believe that to make money and die rich is the very acme of human felicity — the standard of success in life being, not the amount of good work done, but W'- THF COLLEGE ADVOCATED. 361 the amount of money accumulated. Besides not a few of our most talented young men are constrained, in the absence of one central and commanding seat of learning, to p^'ose- cute their studies in other countries where new connections are formed, which lead to the loss of their services to the land of their birth. Almost every student learns more from his fel- 1 ow-studonts than from his regular teachers, and the absence of the emulation and mental tension produced by numbers, independently of other elements, has a repressing tendency which every lover of his country should be anxious to re- move. It is true that Joseph Howe, though eminently use- ful, had not been favored with a collegiate education, but he, like the late Hugh MiHcr, must be regarded as an excej^tion to the general rule ; and few Avill deny, that if Mr. Howe had enjoyed the advantages of a classical education his com- positions, excellent as they are, would have been marked by greater precision and power. But not to lose sight of the proceedings which elicited these remarks, every argument used thirty years ago in condemnation of the support of denominational colleges, and in favor of one University for the Province, applies at the pi-esent time with three- fold potency. Grants continue to be made to denomin- ational colleges, but evils like the one in question re- quire only courage on the part of our statesmen for their removal. A resolute movement in the right dix'ection, though it might lead to the temjiorary loss of political power, would certainly command ultimate popular commendation, as well as success in the best sense of the word. The manifestations of popular sentiment and feeling in regard to education alarmed the majority of the members of Council, and Lord Falkland resolved to dissolve the Asscm. hi}, a pi'ccedent unwarrsi.^ ted by circumstances, and there- fore pei'hups unjirecedented in Colonial administration. There was no evidence tending to show that the Government had lost the confidence of the country. Mr. Howe had given 352 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 4- I offonco to some of his most ardent supporters, by accepting office without a more radical change in the Executive Coun- cil, and the majority of the advisers of Lord Falkland — Tories of the old school who Avere mortified at partial loss of power — thought the moment favorable for a dissolution. In December, Mr. M. B. Almon, having been appointed to seats in the Executive and Legislative Councils, Messrs. Howe, Uniacke and McNab tendered their resignations. Lord Falkland requested these gentlemen to give their rea- sons in writing, which was accordingly done. The substance of their reasons was in effect, that the appointment of Mr. Almon indicated a change of policy on the part of his Lordship, and would be so regarded by the people of Nova Scotia. The right of his Lordship to make any appoint- ments which might strengthen his govei'nment was conceded. To these letters Lord Falkland wrote a long reply, which was published in the newspapers. His Lordship complained of the appointment of Mr. Almon being regarded as prov- ing a change of policy on his part, notwithstanding the strongest declarations of his determination to adhere to the principles by which he had hitherto been guided in :he ad- ministration of the Government of the Province. He fjtated that he selected Mr. Almon for advancement because he had been previously so Utile engaged in political life ; that it was not probable the distinction conferred on him would offend the prejudices of any portion of the community, he being known to entertain liberal views on questions of gen- eral policy i and further because from his relationship to Mr. Johnston, Mr. Almon being his brother-in-law, the leader of his government, the appointment would be regarded by the public as a proof of his Lordship's confidence in that gentle- man. The practical value of the admission made by the retiring members of Council of his Lordship's right to make appointments amounted to nothing if they were justified in seceding from the Council. On questions relating to local W'^ A VOTE OP WANT OP CONFIDENCE. 353 .0 make ified ill to local matters, which did not affect the Eoyal prerogative, ho should deem it his duty to pay every regard and deference to the views of the members of Council, as well as to tho Avishes of the people, however much these might militate against his own opinions, but the claims Avhich their resign, ations tv nded virtually to assert he could not recognize. The new House mot on the eighth of February, 1844, when the lion. Mr. Young, who had been elevated to a seat in the Executive Council, but had resigned on his appoint- ment of Speaker, was re-elected Speaker. Lord Falkland, in opening the Assembly said, that his best energies had been devoted to the advancement of tho interests of the Province, and being satisfied that a government composed of individuals of one political party only would be ill suited to its actual condition, he had determined to administer the affairs of the colony with the advice of a Board at which all interests should bo represented. He was determined to resist any invasion of the Royal prerogative, while he used the powers which that proi'Ogativo conferred justly and im- partially for the benefit of all Her Majesty's subjects. A long and spirited discussion took place on the reply to the address — the most prominent men in opposition to the Government being the Speaker, Huntington, Howe, Do}' le and G. E. Young. The debate lasted for about a fortnight, when the address was carried by twenty- six to twenty-four votes. Subsequently, Mr. Howe moved a vote of want of confidence in the Government, to the effect that the House, having waited for such a re- construction of the Executive Council as seemed called for by the state of the country, and having despatched the public business in the belief that the Lieutenant Governor Avould call around him a body of men truly reflecting the opinions of the people, deemed it their duty before retiring to their homes to state that the Executive Council, as at present constituted, did not possess such a degree of public 354 HISTOUY OP NOVA SCOTIA. |!' ' confidence as was ossontial to the vigorous and wise adminis- tration of the government. The government wore, however, sustained by twenty-six to twenty-threo vote.''. On the twenty-fourth of February, Lord Fallcland ad- dressed a communication to the lion. E. M. Dodd, in which ho stated that ho was sincerely desirous that his government should bo conducted on the principles Avhich he had an- nounced from the throne, and authorized that gentleman to ofler three of the scats in the Council which were vacant, to the gentlemen who had seceded from the government — Messrs. IIowo, Uniacko, and McNab. It was to be under- stood that no agitation must bo promoted by the members of the Government on points affecting the princjplo on which it was constructed. lie also insisted as a condition of ac- ceptance on an express disavowal of the theory advanced in the Assembly that the representatives of tl-.e Sovereign stood in the same relation to the representatives of the people of the colony which he governed that the Monarch does to the House of Commons in England. On those conditions Messrs. IIowo, Uniacke and ^IcNab refused acceptance of ofiice. In May, Mr. Annand, who was proprietor of the Morning Chronicle and Nova Scotian, announced that Mr. Howe, who during the last two years and a half had no direct connection with the press, would share in the editorial management of these papers. " During that period," said Mr. Howe, in taking \\\\ the editorial pen, " we sometimes doubted our own identity — wo were a part of a nine-stringed instrument which some- times produced harmony, and sometimes discord, but in which there was no clear ringing tone. But now, like the lark, we can rise on our own wing and pour forth our own strains, rejoicing in a sense of freedom that we have not felt for years." The strains which the editor poured forth, whether in poetry or prose, were not such as were calculated to charm Lord Falkland or his Government — his peculiar carol having little melody for Governmental oars. r ; POLICY OP LORD FALKLAND. 355 In July an extra session of tlie House was held, in order to give the House an opportunity to determine -whether they •would appoint an agent to represent them at the bar of tho Privy Council, in tho case pending before tho Judicial Com- mittee regarding tho annexation of Capo Breton to Nova Scotia in 1820. The Assembly did not deem it necessary to send an agent, passing a resolution to tho effect that tho annexation of tho island to Nova Scotia by tho proclamation of 1820, and tho act of Assembly empowering it was a measure very advantageous to the great body of the inhabi- tants of that island, and that it was largely benefited by the protection of tho Government, and tho equiablo ad- ministration of justice. ' Lord Falkland determined, if possible, to detach his party from Mr. Howe, and for that purpose put forth strenuous efforts, but in vain, to secure the co-operation in tho govern- ment of Messrs. IMcNab, Huntington, T. B. Uniacko and two Catholic gentlemen, Messrs. Tobin and Brennan, placing five seats at tho Council Board at thoir disposal. His Lord- ship also sent a despatch to the Secretary for tho Colonies, Lord Stanley, complaining bitterly of Mr. HoAve, stating that his conduct had rendered it impossible for him to offer him a seat at any Board at which ho presided, because tho more fact of his being restored to his former position, after having publicly and grossly insulted the Queen's represen- tative, and restored moreover, by tho very officer so out- raged, woiild degrade the office beheld in the estimation of tho community, and make Mr. Joseph Howe de facto Gov- ernor of Nova Scotia. Lord Falkland said further, that it was from no sense of weakness either in Parliament or in the country ho was induced to address his Lordship ; but as a junction of parties, for many reasons so desirable, had been prevented by considerations involving so much of a personal nature, and which reduced the question to]a contest between himself and a political loader in tho Province, ho r m 35G niSTOKV OP NOVA SCOTIA. n If j; I \ Ie ; 'f-- felt it right that ho, Lord Stanley, should have an opportun- ity of pronouncing judgment on the course ho had pursued under circumstances so painful, and of counteracting without delay the evil consequences of his conduct — by recalling him — if he had fallen into error. Lord Stanley replied, that although his negotiations were unsuccessful, his proceedings had met "with entire approval. The Colonial Secretary had the fullest confldenccin Lord Falkland's discretion, and left him to select such individuals as he should consider most eligible to serve in his Government. Mr. Howe was thus condemned without an opportunity of defending himself. During the session of 1845, the Attorney-General drew attention to the attacks mad" ^) the Lieutenant-Governor in the pages of the "Nova f; iian," for which he held Mr. Howe responsible. He complained of doggerel verses which appeared in that newspaper, on the twentieth of May, en- titled "The Lord of the Bed Chamber," and signed "Judy," which were said to have emanated from the pen of the member for Halifax. Mr. Annand, in " Howe's Letters and Speeches," says that the lines became a classic portion of political literature, and they were evidently intensely offen- sive to his Lordship. That they were of sufficient import- ance to be made the subject of a grave discussion in the Assembly may be fairly questioned. In order to strengthen his Government, Lord Falkland visited the most populous settlements in the Province, meeting in not a few instances with a reception which proved anything but satisfactory. At Pictou ho was received with cold civility. In King's County eight hundred free- holders presented an address to His Excellency, in which the political virtues of the retired Councillors were studi- ously paraded, and the constitutional privileges recently conceded by the parent State were stated to be universally recognized as the oidy true basis of Colonial Government. "Should this expression of our opinion," said the yeoman 'a^ COMPLAINTS IN CANADA. 357 of King's, "tend to convince your Excellency of the real state of feeling in the rural districts, wo shall rejoice to sec your Excellency, ere long, ag.iin surrounded by those who really possess the confidence of the great mass of the people." At Windsor His Excellency was confronted with an address, signed by upwards of a thousand names, in which ho was told, with remarkable plainness of sjieech, that tho country could never be peaceful, contented or happy whilst those Avho had been subtle and intriguing enemies of responsible Government and popular rights suiTOunded His Excellency, and those who had been for years recognized as the loaders and guides of the people were opposed to his ad- ministration. Uis Excellency was informed that the pco})le of Hants had been deceived by their representatives, and they prayed that His Excellency would, by an early disso- lution, give them an opportunity of showing their attach- ment to those who, though excluded from his councils, and apparently from his confidence, possessed their unbounded attachment and esteem. Whilst Nova Scotia was thus agitated a similar contest was being carried on in Canada, the Governor General — Sir Charles Metcalfe — and tho people being antagonistic in their principles of government. The root of tho evils complained of lay in the gross errors of the Executive Government, over which the people had no control. Popular complaints of bad government were either altogether disregarded by tho Imperial Government or inadequate remedies applied for their removal. The people demanded that tho Government should be conducted on British constitutional principles — the Government to be thus held responsible for the acts of the Governor General, and being constituted and from time to time moulded according to popular sentiment constitu- tionally expressed. In 1841 resolutions embodying these views wore passed in the Legislative Assembly of Canada, and Avere sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government as the ;■? '' ■ r J' m ;:| I i 358 IIISTOHY OP NOVA SCOTIA. basis of futuro administration. Tlioso resolutions blasted the hopes of "the family compact," by which Canada, like Nova Scotia, had boon long ruled. For a long time this body of men pos.scs9od all the highest offices, by means of which it wielded all the powers of government. Lord Dur- liam reported that the bench, the magistracy, the high offices of the Episcopal church, and a great part of the legal profession Avere filled by tl > adherents of the party — that by grant or purchase they n; a acvj[uircd nearly the whole of the waste lands of the Province, and were all powerful in the chartered banks. It was no easy matter to break up this Avell compacted confederacy, but the genial rays of pub- lic opinion began to produce a partial disintegration. On the union of the Provinces, Lord Sydenham assembled the first united Parliament, and dissatisfaction having been expressed by a majority of the House with some of tl-.o measures of his Government, he at once adopted the constitu- tional remedy of removing a part of his Council, and appointing men in their places who enjoyed the confidence of the Assembly. Sir Charles Bagot, who succeeded Lord Sydenham in the administration of Canada, acted on the same princijile as his predecessor, thus giving eflfoct to the opinion of Lord Durham, as expressed in his report, that the responsibility to the united Legislature of all tho officers of the Government, except the Governor and his. Secretary, should be secured by every means known to the British Con- stitution — tho Governor, as the representative of the Crown, being instructed to carry on the Government by heads of departments, in whom the imitod Legislature should repose confidence, and tho Imperial Government not interfering in any contest with the Legislature except on points involv- ing strictly Imperial interests. Sir Charles Metcalfe having deviated from these fundamental principles, with which tho colonial mind had become thoroughly impregnated, caused -a political fermentation like that by which Nova Scotia was COMPLAINTS IN NEW DllLNSWICK. 359 agitated, and tlio rcHignation of liberal momljcrs of Couneil. It was at this criticiil period that tho Hon. Wnu Ycmng, tlio speaker of tho Nova Scotian House of Assembly, visited Canada, when tho Toronto "Globe," at this time tho most powerful Canadian organ of liberal opinions, announced that tho reformers of Toronto and tho neighboring Townships had invited Mr. Young to a public dinnoi', as a mark of tho high consideration entertained of tho able conduct displayed by himself and his colleagues in thoir struggle with Lord Falkland for tho great principles of responsible government. Tho banquet accordingly took place on tho twenty-third of September in tho Hall of the Eeform Association. Tho chair was occupied by the Hon. Henry John Bolton — tho Hon. Eobert Baldwin acting as croupier. Tho hall was splendidly decorated, and the ''Globe" said that a finer spectacle was never exhibited in Canada at any similar de- monstration. Mr. Young proved equal to tho occasion. Tho people of New Brunswick experienced tho same un- reasonable resistonco to Constitutional Government at tho hands of tho Governoi-, Sir Vviliiam Colebrook, as was. encountered in Canada and Nova Scotia. Tho Assembly of that Province on tho twentieth of February, 1845, passed a resolution by a vote of twenty-two to nine, to the effect that the Executive Council did not possess the confidence of the House, yet in the face of that resolution one of tho gentle- men in the minority was appointed by the Governor to a vacant seat in the Executive Council ! On the ninth ot November, 1844, the Abbe J. M. Sigoyne, died at Clare in the county of Digby, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. He was a native of TourSj in Franco, his father being Mayor of the city of Lyons. From his youth he was devoted to literature, and his progess in learning was rapid as his piety was ardent. " His talents" — says a correspondent— " were of a high order, and in him were united a fine imagination with a vigorous understanding'' He was a loyalist in principle, and the revolution which dethroned his sovereign, and shed the best blood in France, forced him to seek an asylum in London, where he remained for a considerable iW ^l 3G0 IIIHToav OP NOVA SCOTIA. •**! 4", . time, devoting bimaeU'to the study of the English language. In 1797 ho emigrated to Xova Scotia, retiring to tiie peaceful settlements of Ularu oud Tusket, and assuming the whole charge of the French Acadian Parishes. To these localities many of tlie people had resorted, after the expulsion of 17,').'), and in the Abbe Sigoyno they found a sound adviser, and an affec- tion:ite friend. For tbrty-seven years he resided amongst them, not only zealously discharging his duties as a spiritual teacher, but also acting in the capacity of a judge to whom all difTerences were referred, and in whose de- cisions tiic utmost confidence was reposed. lie had the commission of a Justice of the Peace, drew up witli his own hand deeds and cuntracts, and settled with marvellous autliority and tact all disputes. The venerable Abbe spoke the Indian language fluently, and the Micmacs regarded him with the utmost veneration. The jurisdiction of the Abbe extended over all the French settlements from Annapolis to Pubnico, a distance of over one hundred miles. When the Abbe began his labors, and long after, the roads were olmost impassible, particularly between Clare and Tusket, a distance of forty-five miles. Hence he was obliged to travel along the sea shore on horse back, and a part of the way on foot. There existed at that time only two places of worship in that region — one at Church Point, Clare, and another near Tusket, which had been erected by the first refugees. After the lapse of some years, the population having increased, other churches were erected, and during the pastorate of the Abbe six churches were completed in Clare and five at Tusket. For many years the Abbe had been the only pastor of all the Acadian Parishes. At present there are four priests iu Clare, and three in Tusket, Eel Brook and Pubnico. The Abbe was universally respeited and beloved, and will be long held in affec- tionate remembrance. CHAPTER XVII. Advocacy of railway extension in tiie Province— Sketch of tlio AMiO Segoyne — Howe's letter in rejjjy to the charge of being a mendi- cant — Destructive fire in St. Juhn's, Newfoundland— Departure of Lord Fulklantl — Ih succeeded liy Sir John Harvey — Hon. J. W. Johnston— His administration — His reply to the correspondent of the "Patriot" — Society for the repeal of the union between Great Britain and Ireland — Sketch of Judge S. S. Blowers- Character of Daniel O'Connell — His death — Session of 1847 — Policy of the Governor — General election of 1847 — Meeting of the House — Mr. Young elected Speaker — Motion of want of confidence — Resignation of the Government— The new administration — Re- port of the Committee on Education — Celebration of the centenary of the settlement of Halifax — Howe's poem on the occasion — Outrani's letters to the "Glasgow Mail" — Construction of a telegraph between Halifax and Andierst — Hon, J. W. Johnstou'.s resolutions relating to the salary of the Lieutenant-Governor — Mr. S. Canard's defence of the General Mining Association — Reply of Mr. G. R. Young — Howe's mission to England to advo- cate railway extension in the Province— Report of the Comnus- eion for consolidating and simplifying the Laws of the Province —Success of Mr. Howe's mission to England— Sketch of Herbert Huntington — Death of Sir Johri Harvey — His life and character — Appointment of Sir John Gaspard Le Marchant as Governor — Presentation of plate to Bishop Connolly — Visit of the Governor- General to Halifax — Mr. Howe appointed Chairman of the Rail- way Board — Re-construction of the Government — Railway extension — Ratification of the Reciprocity Treaty — Industrial Exhibition of 1854— War between Britain and Russia — Mr. J. W. Johnston's Prohibitory Liquor Bill — Mr. Howe's speech — Re- marks on the temperance question. The project of a railway between Ilalifiix and Quebec was much discussed in the press in 18-15, and a Provisional Com. mittec appointed to collect information, who prepared an m li'. 362 IIISTOBY OP NOVA SCOTIA. elaborate report, pointing out the advantages which would accrue to the Province by the establishment of such a line of communication, and giving an estimate of the traffic by which the railway would be supported. A railway between Halifax and AVindsor was also advocated at a public meeting held in the Mason Hall in Halifax, In 184G Mr. Howe addressed a letter, occupying three columns of the ",Nova Scotian," to Lord Falkland, in reply to the charge of his being a mendicant, publicly made by an officer of the Government^ in allusion to a sum of money which Mr. Howe had accepted from some of the peopio in recognition of his jmblic services, in connection Avith the pecuniary sacrifice he had made in seceding from the Govern- ment. Perhaps the severest thing Mr. Howe over wrote Avas the concluding passage of h's communication. This year — 184fi — a great fire occurred at St. John'.s, Newfoundland, by whicb the town was almost completely destroyed — about two thousand houses and property to iho value of one million jiounds sterling being swept away. Halifax acted with its usual promptitude in such cases, con- tributing most liberally to the relief of the sufferers. Lord Falkland left for England in August, being succcded in the Lieutenant-Governor.ship by Sir John Harvey, (ate Governor of Newfoundland. That Lord Falkland had an able leader of his Government it the Hon. J. "W. Johnston, must be admitted. That the Covernmeni was sustained till the ^lose of his Lordship's administration, notwithstand- ing the most formidable talent and influences emjiloyed in attacking it, and making popular feeling and sentiment an- tagonistic to its continuance, indicates the rare political tact and judgment brought to bear in its defence. Mr. Johnston was ever ready, by pen and tongue, to defend the charactor and acts of the Governor, and employed only legitimate weapons in the contest. A correspondent having sent a communication to the " Patriot " — the most influential news- SKETCH OF JUDGE BLOWKRH. 363 jiapcr organ of the Dissenters in England — shortly afte*. Lord Falkland's departure, charging him, after taking office xmder Lord John Ilussell professedly as a Liberal, with act- ing as a Tory, and giving himself up to a political faction — thus depriving the people of the liberties chey had wrought out for themselves a few years ago, Mr. Johnston rsent a reply to the same paper, vindicating the conduct of the late Governor. In 1842 died Judge Sampson Salter Blowers. He was born in Boston in March, 1743. He was the only son of John Blowers, tlie second son of the Rev. The oas Blowers, minister of Beverley. His father, John Blowers, served as a Lieutenant in the Provincial forces which were raised for the siege of Louis- liourg, and being seized with what was called the camp fever, was invalided and returned to Bo.^iton, and died soon after, leaving his son an orphan at a very early ago. His maternal grandfather took charge of him and placed him at the grammar school in Boston, under Mr. Lovcll, where he con- tinued six years, and then proceeded to Harvard College, Cambridge. In 1763 he graduated, and soon after commenced the study of the law in the office of James Ottis, then an eminent barrister, and warmly engaged in the political wrangles which ended in the Revolution and Independeice of the British colonies. In 1707 Mr. Blowers was admitted an attorney and bar- rister of the Supreme Court at Boston, and continued in the practice of ui3 ]irofession until the autumn of 1774, when to avoid the political contentions which became daily more violent, he sailed with his wife, whom he had recently married, for England, and arrived there at the commencement of the year 1775. In 1778 he sailed for New York, then occupied by British iorces. In 1779 he received a commission tu be Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, aiijointed to be held at Rhode Island, and proceeded to that place, which was then occupied by a detachmeni of British troops, and as a station for the fleet then under the command of Lord Howe. In the spring fol- lu' ing the French floet under the comniiuid of Count D'Kstaing, arrived at tlic coast of North America, and entered the harbor of Newport ; and a large detachment of the American forces crossed from the main to the Island, and commenced tlie seige of Newport, which they continued for some weeks, until the appearance of the British fleet off the Island. The fleet of France having embarked the French troops which bad been landed from the ships, the latter sailed in pursuit of the Britisli fleet, and left the American troops, which were cannonading the town, to take care of them- sq]v s. 'i he seige was therefore raised, and soon after Mr. Blowers return- ed iv. New York, where he embarked again for Englund, He n^maincd ia 1:''/ fl 364 HIHTOIIY OV NOVA HCCtTFA. ''i fr Englaml only a fow monllis, and Imving been apiioiiitcd Holicitor-Gcnoral for New York lie returnod tliitlier, mid no civil govcrnintut having been established, ho ornploycd himself in the Vice-Adniiralt/ (.'oisrt until the evacuation of that city, putt of tlio.time a» un advocate, and the latter part as a Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court there, and as a Commissioner of the IJoard of Dchtu cstalilished by Lord Dorchester on his taking command pf the King's troops. On the evacuation of Now York Mr. lilowcrs removed with Lia family to Halifax, and in the year 178."), lie was ajjpointed Attorney-Oeneral of tlie Province of N'ova Hcotia, and in the same year he was chosen Speaker of the House of Assembly. In 1788 he was appointed a member of His Majesty's Council, and in 17^7 Chief Justice of the Province and President of tiie Council. IIo retired from public life in iy.'13. When ex-President Adamt' was in Nova Scotia in 1810 he paid Judge Hlowers a visit. Tlie Judge never set foot in the land of his nativity after ho was driven from it. " lie never wore an overcoat in his life," says the Hon. Joseph Howe in one of his published speeches. He died in the ninety-ninth j'car of his age. Sarah, his widow, died in Halifax in July, 1845, in tho eighty-eighth year of her age. Ill iralifax tliorcwMw, at tluH time, an or^sinizullon for llio ro])(!Hl of the union between Groat Britain and Ireland, and which Kympatlii.sod with (lie opinion.s, and a])j)roved of tlio action of Daniel O'Connell, who waw HtigniatiMcd by many as adangerouH agitator, but who was unquestionably one of tho ablest and most patriotic n. )n Ireland ever produced. At tho beginning of O'ConnoH'H public career the legalized oppres- sion and iniHmanageinent of Ireland had attained itw culmin- ating point. Tho land was in the grawp of proprietors who 8ub-v the Lieutenant-rjovernor. These '*ty-six, nearly twenty- three thousand pounds being paid lor their maintenance by the people, and ten thousard pounds in addition being drawn from the treasury. In 1S48, the people of Newfoundland, desirous that the same administrative privileg'S should bo granted to them which had been conceded to Nova Scotia, sent an address to Her Majesty on the subject, when Lord Grey returned an answer to the effect that the present institutions in New- foundland were, in the opinion of the Government, well calculated to meet the wants of the present state of society in that Colon;y. The Newfoundlanders congratulated the House of A.ssembly of Nova Scotia, through the Speaker^ on the attainment of the Constitution for which they had so long struggled. In acknowledging the receipt of the address, the Speaker, jMr. Young, said that he would rejoice to see the same lirinciplea extended to the island of Newfoundland 368 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. :f "*i ]^- .n. — expressing his conviction that the institutions of a conntry are most secure when they rest on a broud f'oun(hition, and the loyalty of the people concurs with their atfcctions and their interests. The centenary of the settlement of Halifax was cele- brated on the eighth of Juno, 184D. At four o'cloclv in the morning a siilulo of one hundred guns was tired. The troops were reviewed by the Lieutenant-Governor, and a sham battle took place. There was a sjilondid procession during the day. The civic authorities, and prominent mcmhors of the centenary committee led the van ; the press, decorated tastefully and drawn by four gvoy horses followed ; then «ame the tire engines, gorgeously decorated; the charitable, Masonic, and African Societies succeeded ; prominent places were assigned to the Aborginos ; and a carriage conveyed several of the oldest natives of British origin. The ]n'oces- fiion, after traversing several of the principal streets, formed a hollow square on the Common. Tiie orator of the day was Mr. Beamish Murdoch, who delivered an excellent oration. Mr. Joseph Howe composed a spirited song on the occasion, which has become the permanent natal song of Halifax, and of which the following are the two opening stanzas : — "Hail to the day wlien the Britons carae over, And planted Iheir standard with sea foam still wetl ■ Above and around us their spirits still hover. Rejoicing to mark how we honor it yet." " Beneath it the emblems they cherished are waving — TIk r"So nf Old England the road sides perfumes, The shamrock nnd thistle, the north winds are braving. Securely the Mayflower b'usii>.'' and blooms." In the autumn of 1849, Mr. Josepli Outram— now of Halifax — published in the Daily Mail, Glasgow, a scries of letters on the climate, soil, products, and capabilities o*^ JTova Scotia, which were subsequently piblifhed in the form of a phamphlet by William Blackwood, jun., and which TELEORAPniC COMMUNICATION. 369 wci"o useful in directing public attention to the resources of the Province of which, at that time, profound ignorance pre- vailed in the Jfother Country. In this year the Goverinnent of Nova Scotia proposed a vote of about four thousaiul pounds for the construction of a telegrapli lino from Halifax to Amherst, wliich was to be connected with one to iS'ew Greenwich, and thence to the entire Continent of America. The bill passed without opposition — the investment turning out equally useful and profitable to the Province. During the Session of the IJouso of Assembly in 1850, the Hon. J. W. Johnston submitted a series of i-esolntions, in which he proposed that the Lieutenant-Governor, in conse- quence of the administrative changes recently introduced, should be paid entirely by the Imperial Govcrr.ment, or if the Province should be required to contribute any portion of his salary, one thousand pounds would fully meet the just proportion of the Colony — it being deemed unjust that so large a sum as three thousand pounds sterling should now bo paid by the Province, and absurd that two hundred and fifty pounds, or any such sum, should be granted for the private secretary of an officer, who himself had but to subscribe the documents which others were required to prepare. Mr. Johnston proposed that the Legislative Council should be elected by the people for a limited period — the members going out by sections periodically. The speech made by Mr. Johnston in support of these resolutions was published seperately in combination with a long letter, addressed by the Honorable gentlemen to the constituency of the county of Annapolis, which he represented in the House of As- sembly. On a division the resolutions were rejected by' twenty-six to fourteen votes. In November 1850, the Hon. S. Cunard published a letter in The Sun newspaper, vindicating the General Mining As- flociation from the charge of having a monopoly of the 870 nrsTOHY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Ife: ¥''■ m. ■*i. i |! miiieralH of tlio Provinco, prejudicial to its interests. Jfr Cunanl diroclwl iittciition to tlio tU(^t (hat thoro wero in tlio Province largo districts in which the minerals weie not ro- (Borvod, and that the proprietors oi (ho soil could, conseiiucntly, "vvorlv them without the paj'ment ofro^'alty, and theroloro on bettor terms than the Association, who were now payi;:,!;; six tliousand pounds a 3'car into the Provincial chest. In ro|)ly to Mr. Canard's statements Mr. G. R. Young, chairman Of the Committee of Mines and Minerals, wrote a sei-ics of letters in which he mentioned that the General ^[iiiing As- sociation had obtnineu, and rosolutel}- guarded a close and exclusive monopoly of all the Avorkable belts of coal yet discovered in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton. Whilst it must bo admitted that there was, at the time this discussion took place, much unreasonable popular clamor against an Associa- tion which bad invested a lai-go capital in the development of coal, yet Mr. Young made it clear that the rights con- ceded to the General ]\[ining Association were iiicomjiatible with the claims and prosperity of the country, and that the adjustment of the agreement under which the business of the comjiany was prosecuted, and Avhich was subsequently effected in the most amicable manner, was absolutely requisite to allay Avell-gronnded ii-ritation, and permanently Bccuro the interests of the Province, as well as tliose of the Company. Towards tbo close of the year 1850, Mr. ITowo visited England, as a delegate, on business connected with a scheme by Avhich it w^as proposed to connect Halifax by i-ailway with the United States and Canada. Earl Grc}', the Colo- nial Secretary, had sent a despatch to Sir J. Ilarvej', in September, 1850, in which he intimated, in reply to an ap- plication for the Imperial guai'antee of eight Hundred thou- sand pounds sterling for the construction of the roads, that the government could not recommend Parliament to accotle to the proposition. The object of Mr. Howe's visit was to COMMISSION ON STATUTES. 371 ciilii^htoii Iho tjovonimoiit on tlio suhjoct, and induco Uu'in, if p:)ssil)lo, to adopt u more liberal policy. Ho accord! ii^^ly nd'lrcjs.sod two ablo lottoi'd to tlio Colonial Secretary on the Hiilijoct of colonial railway construction, which attracted public attention ; an 1 addressed a lai'jii;o publ'c meeting ia Southampton, in which ho discussed tho general subject of emigration. In the session of 1850, a commission, consistinij of Williain Young, J. McCully, J. W. Ilitchie and Jos. Wliidden, who had been ap|)oin(ed for tho purpose cf consolidating and Biniplilying the laws of tho Proviiice, and who were assisted in tho work by Jumes Thomson, presented their Knal report. The la!)ors of this- con\n\ission were arduous as well as highly important, tho character and legal attainments of the genllo- men to whoni tho work was entrusted being a satisfactory guarantee to the jiublicas to tho thoroughness and efficiency with which tho work wouUl be executed. The Comraissionera concluded their report by modestly referring to tho nature and e.xtent of their labors in the following terms: " In the execution of the important and onerous trust committed to our charge, though we have been compelled to bestow aa anount of labor, and a degree of attention which none of ua in the first instance anticipated, there may be some imper- fections or defects to be hei-oaflcr remedied. The main ad- vantage to be dorivoi fi-ora the work will be that the lawa which regulate social life, protect and transmit property, determine political rights, and define tho punishment of ollences have boon reduced to system, and clothed in simple and perspicuouH language, so as to bo intelligible to all who may have occasion to consult them. And as the present is the first attempt of the kind in a British colony, wo must bespeak tho indulgence of your Excellency, and of tho pub- lic for tho imperi'ectiojis it may contain, and which are perhaps inseparable from so exionsivo an undertaking." TJie questions raised by Mr. Howe's letters to tho Colonial 'Mi >^^ FT? 372 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. m. I. I it 11 111 :M: It ii Seci'olary liuving boon under llio dolihomtion of tlio BritiHh Govornmont, tlioir dociHion roHpcoliiif^ lliom was coniniuni- cator oC Earl (irey to Mr. IIowo, under date (lictonth ofMarcli, 1H51, in which hi.s Lord- sliip Htatod tliat the nccossary i(uaranlce nhouid lie ^raritod, or that tho nioiioy roquircd i'or the construction of the rail- way should lie advance*! from tho Britisli Treasury, on tlio condition thai an arrauf^cnioiit wore inado with tiio I'rovincot* of Canada and New Jh imNwicic, hy whicli the coiiKlrnctiou of a line of I'ailway throii;;li Jli-itish territory, from Ilalilax to Qnehcc or Montreal, hhould he provided for to the Hutitsliic- tion ol' Hor Majesty'H (Jovernmont. On Mr. IIowo's return to Halifax, he was leceived with that (lei.M'ec of rospoct and enthusiasm to which his eminent puidic sorvicos entitled him, and tho citizens of Montreal and (iuehoc, which cities •ftor hia return he had visited, deli^ditetl to do 1dm honor. Our limits will not permit u statement of the reasons which led to tho withdrawal of tho oiler of the Imperial guai*- antco — tlio nuiin ohjeclion to the line proposed by tho Provinces as urged by the British (iovernment, of which Lord Derby was now tho liead, being that it was to run too close to United Stales territory, uud might, in tlio event of ■war, bo destroyed. Tho Provinces wero thus left to carry out their schemes with their own resources. In Scptenibrr, 1851, died Ili'rbort Huntington, a native of Yarmouth County, whicli lie bad fiiitlifully and unintcrru])tedly rcproscnted for about eigiitcen years. Ilia f'atlicr came to Nova Hcotia from Connecticut in tho year 1784, being tlien twenty-one years of age, and is mentioned by Habino in his liistory of the Loyalists, ilc was a near relative of the Samuel Euntington whose name aijpeursaa a signer of the Declaration of Indepen- dence, and who tilled the posiliun aa President of tho Connecticut Con- gress from the twenty-eighth of September, 1779, to the sixth of July, 1781. When in 1839 the House of Assembly decided on sending delegates to con- fer with the Colonial Secretary en the subject of Provincial grievances and wishe.'), Herbert Huntington was one of those cliosen. On tlie reconstruc- tion of the Executive Council, ia compliacce with the commands of the ■,1'V SKETCH OK Hril JOHN IlAIlVKr. ST."} Coloniul .Si'Cictiiry, ho was nivmcil iw ii im.inlMr, Imt woon aflcr resigned on (lis(;i)v 1 sorts of manoeuvres to escape it, was not as great an evil as drinking "iquor. Tlie idea of dealing with a bad Iiabit, by endeavoring to remove tlie means of its indulgence, wi7/iOM< the power of doing it, is the most pre- posterous and clumsy that ever entered the human mind." Under a general State Law, we would observe, the importation of liquor into the State of Maine is perfectly legal, and this legal sanction to introduce the article in any quantity into the State, and the strict prohibition to sell it after it has been introduced, cannot be characterized otherwise than as a supremely absurd, as well as pernicious paradox. An intelligent gentleman, wlio accompanied excursionists connected witli the Press of Maine to Halifax this summer, acknowledged to tho writer the utter inefficiency of the law as applying to large cities. TBJIPERANCE SOCIETIES. 887 mittee of tho Dorainion Commons, that in largo towns and cities ho has not observed, for tho most part, any substantial difference in the drinking of tho State of Maine as compared with other States. But if the aggregate evils resulting from the existence of tho prohibitory law be summed up, they will be found to counterbalance the good effects of tho measure. The notorious laxity in the administration of tho law is sapping tho foundation of respect for other laws re. garding which a healthy moral sentiment should exist. It is impossible that there can be in any country a notorious violation Avith impunity of one law without affecting jireju- dicially the equity of the general judicial administration. In tho United Scatoi^, unfortunately, tho punishment of tho murderer according to law is the exception not tho rule, and the effect of such laxity has a marked demoralizing tendency. But we have not far to travel to find proof of tho futility of legal prohibition of tho sale of intoxicating liquors, and of laxity of administration. In counties in Nova Scotia, where a prohibitory law exists, the article is sold with impunity at open bars, under the very eyes of the men who are tLe recognized guardians of the statute. When a law ceases to be respected to such a degree as to bo publicly violated without exm remark, the sooner it is abolished the better. Far better that no restriction whatever were put on tho sale of liquor, than that such a lamentable state of things should exist. That temperance societies have cfFocted a vast reformation in tho drinking habits of society cannot be denied. So long as their operations are confined to the creation of a healthy moral sentiment by appeals to reason, and tho devising of means by which the popular desire for amucement and ex- citement may be innocently gratified, their influence must continue to strengthen and extend, but the moment an ap- peal is node to coercion as the instrument of reformation their beneficent action is in danger of being neutralized. 388 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. .'< 1. Hh In order that tho other uido of the question may bo fully presented, tho writer submits tho following statement furnished by Mr. J. Parsons, the Grand AVorthy Patriarch of the Sons of Teniperanco of Nova Scotia : "In August, 1872, 1 spent more than a week in different parts of tlie State of Maine, noticing ap2cially the drinking habits of the people, and comparing Maine with the Jlaritime Provinces of Canada. In Calais, a seaport town of about seven hundred inhabitants, during four days' stay, I saw but one drunken man, and he had just come across the bridge from New Brunswick. No rowdyism was observed during my stay, but in St. Stephen, N. B., a smaller place, though supporting a dozen or more rum shops, there was a good deal of noise especially at night and around the taverns." "Reliable men informed me that there was noplace iu Calais where liquors ivere sold except ac the druggist's, for medicinal purposes — that al- though some places during the first years of prohibition sold in defiance of law, yet latterly these had all been stamped out ; that now vessels occa- sionally bring small quantities, but the constables are on the alert and seize and destroy it ; that the chief difiiculty now arises from their proximity to N. B., where some persons do go to get liquor, but their general quiet- ness was what I t. itnessed, and that not a tithe of the crime and pauperism now exists in compaiieon with the year preceding the introduction of the Maine law. After narrating these facts at a public meeting in Nova Scotia, an old gentlemen rose, and stated what he witnessed in Calais twenty-seven yearj ago— four or five open rum shops in Main street, and noise and rowdyism about the taverns and streets by day and by night." " I traversed Maine by rail, stopping at Bangor and Portland, and passing through Augusta and many large towns, amidst the excitement of a Pre- sidentipl election, but saw no liquor and no drunken men, and altogether became strongly impressed with the success of prohibition. When inquir- ing in several cities if liquors could be purchased, the reply was : ' Yes, in the same way that stolen goods can be procured, or othe r violations of the law indulged in.' Maine believes that her law has been beneficial, as the testimony of her public men, and the votes recorded year after year abundantly prove. Liquor selling is driven entirely out of hundreds of towns and villages, and very greatly ropressed in the cities and seaports." Mr. Parsons adds, in regard to Novr Scotia that in Lock- port, Barrington, Hantsport, Maitland, Sherbrooke, and Milton, Queen's County, and many smaller settlements the law is effectually enforced. 'mm CHAPTER XVIIT. General election of 1855— News of the fall of Sebastopol— Captain Vicars — Captain Parker and Major Wei foi:l— Presentation to General Williams by the Legislature — Conclusion of the Crime in War — Mr. Ilowe's letter on railway liots and Catholic coninK n- tators — Change of Government — The General Mining Associa- tion — Debate on the subject of coal mines — The Indian Mutiny ^Major General Inglis — First Atlantic cable — Appointment of Earl Mulgrave as Governor — Resignation of M. J. Wilkins — General election of 1859 — Majority of the Opposition — Disquali- fication of several members — Opmion of the Law Officers of the Crown — Resignation of the Government — Arrival of the Prince of Wales at Halifax — His reception — Death of Chief Justice Haliburton — His life— Martyrdom of Rev. G. W. Gordon and wife at Eromango — Martyrdom of Rev. J. D. Gordon and John Williams — Death of Prince Albert. There was a general election in the Province in 1855. Tlie county in which the keenest contest took place was Cum- berland, where Dr. Tupper and Mr. A. McFarlane defeated the Hon. Joseph Howe, and the Hon. Stephen Fulton. The result was regarded as a great victory by the Conservatives, and the defeat of their most prominent champion was felt keenly by the Reformers. Early in September, Sebastopol fell, and the news ar- rived in Halifax on Thursday, the twenty-seventh day ef that month. The intelligence caused groat rejoicings. The Volunteer Artillory and the Union Engine Company turned out and joined in a torchlight procession. Some of the private buildings were illuminated, and there was a large bonfire on the Parade. The enthusiasm in Halifax was quite as intense on the occasion as in any city in England, and as the news reached the country unbounded satisfaction was expressed. u 'i ' '\ 390 UISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. .', ;, ii In the Crimea, a gallant soldier hud fallen who was well- known to some of the citizens of Halifax, and of whoso death intelligence had reached the city porae time previously. We refer to Captain Iledloy Vicars, of the Ninety-sev ath ITe^iment, who under the ministry of Dr. Twining of the Garrison Church became a courageous soldier of the cross. On the night of the twenty-second of March, 1855, Captain Yicars commanded a detachment in the trenches. That night, fifteen thousand Russians attacked the lines of the Allies. His eyo was the first to recognize the advancing columns. He made his men lie down till they were within twenty yards, and then fire on the enemy. " Nothing," said Lord Eaglan, in his official despatch, " could be more distin- guished than the gallantry and good example which he showed to the men under his command." Captain Vicars fell from a ball fired so close to his person that his clothes were singed, and the brave soldier and good Chrjstian passed from earth to heaven. Honorably associated, also with the war in the Crimea, stand two Nova Scotians, Captain William B. C. A. Parker and Major Augustus Frederick Welsford, to whom a mon- umont was erected in the burying ground in Pleasant Street, Halifax, in 1800, at the public inauguration of which an ad- mirable oration was delivered by the Rev. George W. Hill, of St. Paul's Church, to whom wo are indebted for the fol- lowing interesting facts : The great grandfather of Captain Parker was the Honorable Benjamin Green, who was a native of Massachusetts, and came to the Province be- fore Halifax was settled, and was appointed Secretary of the Colony — holding that office in 1748. On the arrival of Governor Cornwallia in the following year, Mr. Green was sworn in as one of his Councillors, having been also made Treasurer, and when Governor Wilmot died in 1 760. he was elected for the time being to the high post of Governor and Commander-in- Chief. Upon the appointment by the Crown of the Right Honorable Lord William Campbell to the Governorship, Mr. Green resumed his ordinary rank and duties, but was again summoued to assume the reins of admiius- qm A CAPTAIN PARKER AND MAJOR WEL8P0RD. 391 tration for both Governor and Lieu tenant-Governor In 1771, and dis- charged with ability the duties of these high offices for neavly a year, whra he died. His son, Benjamin, succeeded him in the office of Treasurer, one of whose daughters married an officer of the army— Captain Samuel Smith Parker, of the Sixty-fourth Regiment, and was the mother of the subject of this very brief notice. Captuin Parker was born in Lawrencetown near Halifax, wao educated at the Horton Academy, under the Rev. John Pryor, and his mother, who had become a widow, obtained a commission for him in October, 1839. He was gazetted as Ensign to the same regiment in which his father had obtained his company, and was for a short time stationed i.i Halifax. He was a member of the Saint George's Society, by some of the members of which he is yet affectionatly remembered. In February, 1843, Parker became Lieutenant, and exchanged to the Seventy-eighth Highlan- ders. For twelve years he served in India, and was promoted as Captain to the Seventy-seventh Regiment in January, 1855. He enjoyed his rank, only a few months. On the third of September he had an opportunity of showing martial bravery, and he fully manifested it. Having accompanied Captain Pechell of the same regiment, a gallant young officer, to post some sentinels in the advanced trench near the Redan, the whole party, with the exf-eption of Captain Parker and one man, was killed by the enemy. Having sent this man to report the circumstance, a number of Russians rushed out from the ranks to make him a prisoner, when ho ably defended himself, shot two of them with his revolver, and eventually suc- ceeded in bringing into the camp the body of his friend. For his conduct on this occasion he is said to have received the thanks of the General com- manding the Light Division, and was recommended for the Victoria cross. This brave soldier fell in the final attack on the Redan on the eighth of September, in the thirty-fifth year of his age, leaving a widow and three in- fant children to lament his death. Major Welsford was a native of Halifax. His father was Lieutenant- Colonel Welsford, of the Hundred and First Regiment— his mother being the daughter of Philip Marchington, a merchant of some note and property in the city. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, who honored her hus- band with his personal friendship, v, as the godfather of her son. VVb'Ist still young, Welsford was sent to England in order to be e^i seated. After a short stay he was brought back to Halifax, and sent to the Grammar School. He afterwards went to the University of King's College, Windsor. On leaving college he purchased a commission and was fjnzetted as Ensign to the Ninty-fifth Regiment in February, 1832, became Lieutenant in 1834, obtained his Company in 1838, and was promoted to a Majority in 1850. On the return of the regiment from Corfu about 1848, y ;jor Welsford re- sumed his acquaintance with his old friends, and made many new ones. '■• f ■:lr fa ■ 1 I iidi Wh ■ '( 392 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I 14^ , 'i' Hfi His genial disposition, his accomplishments in the fine arts, his general information, accumulated from reading, observation, and mingling much with men of different nations, rendered him a pleasant and agreepblo com- panion. Like Captain Parker he was a member of the St. George's Society and equally esteemed. For his college he entertained the warmest affection, enrolling himself as a contributor to the incorporated association of the Alumni. His name is blended for the future with this seat of learning, by the foundation of a prize annually competed for by the students in their first year ; and as each anniversary of his death occurs his gallant and loyal deeds are commemorated in Latin, and in the same hall where his voice was once a familiar sound, the President of the University presents the successful canlidate with the Welsford Testimonial, founded by his old friend and class-mate. Dr. W. J. Almon — now one of the members for the City of Halifax in the Dominion Parliament. When the Nioety-eeventh was ordered to England he accompanied the regiment, and after having spent some little time at Chobham camp went to Greece, in the latter part of the year 1854. Colonel Lockyer having been suddenly promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, the command of the regiment devolved on Major Welsford for some time during the trying winter before Sabastopol. He, too, fell at the storming of the Redan. The Ninty-seventh had furnished three hundred and sixty men— one hundred and sixty for the ladder, and two hundred for the storming party. The former were under the command of Major Welsford, who had always been ambitious to take a foremost part in the assault. As early as six o'clock a.m. the regiment paraded, and each party marched to their respective stations. Bight men were told off to each ladder, and they had orders only to leave the trench when the appointed signal was given from the Malakolf. Fix long weary hours of suspense were they compelled to wait, when Major Welsford's eye caught the rocket signal which told that the tri-color of France was waving on the captured tower, aud first gave the word " ladders to the front." As lions roused from their lair the brave cohort rushed towards the Redan, and reaching the deep ditch, placed their ladders and scaled the parapets in the face of a murderous fire. The storming column followed on. As Welsford gallantly led his men, and was endeavoring to enter the ranks, his head was severed from his body. He, too, wiis a decided Christian, and had borne testimony to the piety and devotion to military duty of his friend Vicars who had fallen before him. " It was a bitter hour for us all"— writes; one of the Sergeants of his regi- ment, " when the poor Major's body was brought back to us. Had he lived he would have been crowned with laurels. Let us hope he has won ■A brighter crown now." GENERAL WILLIAMS. 39? and Early in January, 1856, intelligonco of tho fall of Kars had reached Halifax, of v?hich General Williams, a nati'-o of the town of Annapolis, in Nova Scotia, was tho hero. With courage and skill which excited tho au .■•ii-ation of Europe, Williams defended Kars, and only surrendered with a few thousand men when pressed by absolute starvation, and successful resistance had become hopeless. It was meet that the services of so distinguished a Nova Scotian should be acknowledged by tho House of Assembly. The Attorney General — Mr. Young — accordingly, moved that His Exccl- le:icy the Lieutenant Governor should bo respectfully requested to expend one hundred and fifty guineas in the purchase of a sword, to bo presented to General Williams as a mark of the high esteem in which his character as a man and a soldier, and more especially his heroic courage and constancy in the defence of Kars, wore held by the Legisla- ture of his native Province. The Hon. J. W. Johnston seconded, in eloquent terms, the resolution, which passed unanimously. As to General Williams' appreciation of tho honour conferred upon him wo have evidence in an extract from a letter which he addressed to a gentleman in Halifax under date of May the twenty-eighth, 1866, from Berlin : " How thankful I ought to be, and indeed am, to God for having spared me through so many dangei's, to serve the Queen in such a manner as to obtain her approbation, and the good will of all my countrymen on both sides of tho water. Of all the proofs which I have, or shall receive of this too general sentiment in my favor, tho sword voted to me by the Nova Scotians is the most acceptable to my heart ; and when I again come in sight of the shores of that land where I first drew my breath, I shall feel that I am a thousand times requited for all I have gone through during the eventful years of the last terrible struggle." Equally in France, in Eussia, in Turkey and in England were the sagacity, skill and courage of General Williams appreciated. MM » 'rt 394 HIPTOHY OF NOVA SCOTIA. The British Queen conferrotl upon him a baronetcy, and Parliamei.' voted hin\ a pension of one thousand pounds sterling. In the month of June, 185C, the citizens of Iliilifux hold a holiday, expressive of their satisfaction with the peace which had been recently concluded after a short but bloody struggle, and honorable to the allies who had successfully resisted Russian domination against Turkey. An address was forwarded to Her Majesty by the Mayor, and one of welcome and congratulation presented to the Sixty-second and Sixty-third regiments, who had arrived in the city from the Crimea. On the same day the foundation stone of the Provincial Asylum, which is admirably conducted, and highly creditable to the Province, was laid with masonic honors — the venerable and much esteemed Grand Master, the Honorable Alexander Keith, presiding. In the Morning Chronicle of the twenty-seventh of December, appeared a letter from the pen of the Honorable Joseph Howe, entitled, " Railway Eiots and Catholic Commenta- tors," in which he criticised statements which had appeared in the Halifax Catholic, in reference to the provocation which induced men of that persuasion, employed in the construction of the railway, to attack Protestants, injuring their persons, and destroying their property. The editor of the CaMo^tc contended "ti.at the Catholics had a right to assist at Mass on the feast of Corpus Christi," and their Protestant fellow workmen had no right to jeer or taunt them for so doing. Mr. Howe, who had previously expressed himself in Temperance Hall strongly and justly in condemnation of the brutal outrage committed, contended in his letter that, " every Protestant in every free country had a right to laugh at the Real Presence, as every Catholic had to ridicule that in which he disbelieved, or to laugh at the simple ceremonies which the Protestant deemed sufficient." Mr. Howe's letter seems to have been written LETTER DY MR. HOWE. 89B under great irritation and excitement. lie advocutcd prin- ciples which, in cooler momenta,\vo are satisfied his judgment would not have approved. The Catholic did not vindi- cate the outrage committed, but simply condemned the ^provocation which led lo it, asserting, " that knowing how sensitive the Irish people are to every thing which affects their religion or the character of their clergy, Protestants of any nation, who are brought in contact with them, would show better their respect for the precepts of the Bible if they abstained from those taunts and provocations, and from actions in which they were too prone to indulge." These remarks were equally temperate and just, and assuming that the rites and doctrines which the Catholic regards as most sacred were made the subject of derision, any one acquainted wuth the impulsive cJiaracter of the uneducated Irishman might have predicted the effect which would be produced. Religion is a matter between man and his Creator, with the due exercise of which, when no law is infringed, no one has any right to interfere. The pro- fessed Christian — whether Protestant or Catholic — who attempts to ridicule even the rude attempts of a heathen to worship his God, not only takes the most effectual means of eteeling the mind of that heathen against the religion which he — the professed Christian — would inculcate, but deserves, if not to get his head, broken, at least the contempt or commiseration of every true believer. Mr. Howe's violent letter damaged the Government to such an extent that on the House meeting, Mr. Johnston proposed a vote of want of confiderce, seconded by Mr. Mar- shall, which after twelve days debate was carried by twenty eight to twenty-one votes. The Honorable Mr. Johnston was sent for by the Lieuten- ant Governor, and requested to form an Administration. The " Gazette" of the twenty-foui-th of February, 1856, an- nounced that the Executive Council consisted of James W. ■; ' i' ■mil 'M 396 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. V. ■^ Johnston, Michael Tobin, Staloy Brown, John McKinnon, Jolin J. Marshall, John Campbell, Martin J. Wilkins, Charles Tupper, and Charles J. Campbell. Mr. Johnston was Attorney General ; Dr. Tapper, Provincial Secretary ; John J. Marshall, Financial Secretary; Staley Brown, Re- ceiver General, and Martin J. Wilkins, provisionally. Solici- tor Geneinil. The four Government candidates, on an appeal to ihoir respective constituencies, wore returned by consid- erable majorities. It is only fair to acknowlctlgo that the new Administration manifested commendable vigor in the conduct of public business. One of the first questions with respect to which they were determined, if possible, to arrive at a satisfactory solution related to the impoi'tant subject of the coal mines of the Province. George the Fourth had granted to his brother, the Duke of York, a lease of the ungranted mines and min- erals of Nova Scotia, which ho transferred in 1825 to the firm of Rundell, Bridge and Company on the condition of their paying to His Royal Highness a share of the profits derived from working them. The firm failing in discover- ing copper ore, in which Nova Scotia was reputed to abound, directed their attention to the coal of the Province, and for the working of that valuable mineral formed the General Mining Association. Successive Provincial Govern- ments contended that the King had no right to lease the minerals without the consent of the people, through their representatives, and the consequence was a chronic state of agitation on the subject, which continued for years, but which flailed to result in any satisfactory arrangement. In 1845 the Crown had entered into certain agi'ooments with the Mining Association, the substance of wnich was em- bodied in a Treasury minute, and in conformity with whicli a contract was framed in 1849. Meanwhile the Civil List Act of 1849 had passed in the Proviucial Legislature, by which the legal estate of the Crown was vested in that body. jilll II PELEQATION ON TllE COAL QUESTION. 397 i , r Any lease, therofurc, which gave a legal title must emanate from the Assembly of Nova Scotia. Mr. \Vm. Young — the lato Attorney General — had expressed a very decided opinion to that effect, which was subsequently coiToborated by the Crown officers of England. Thus a dead lock was presented in the conduct of the mining business of tlio country. The Government therolbro resolved, if possible, to settle all ex- isting disputes, and with that view proposed to tlie Assem- bly, in tlio session of 1857, a resolution to the effect that if the Provincial Government should find it necessary, for effecting a satisfactory compromise of this question to employ Commissioners, the House would authorize the selec- tion by the Government of two members, prominently repi-esenting the different views held in the House on the subject, who should have power to eifect a settlement of the controversy, provided both Commissioners should agree thereto, subject, however, to the ratification of the Legis- lature — and the House would provide for the expense. In accordance with this resolution Mr. Johnston, the At- torney General, and Mr. A. G.Ai-chibald, a prominent member of the Opposition, were deputed to proceed to England in the month of June, 1857. Having reported their arrival to the Secretary of State for the Colonics, they were put in com- munication, by Her Majesty's Government, with the Direc- tors of the General Mining Association, The duties of the mission with which these gentlemen were charged were performed with tact and judgment, the result being the con. summation of an agreement by which the rights of the Asso- ciation were effectually secui-ed, and thus increased enter- prise was stimulated, and the remaining mineral wealth of the Province permanently placed under the guardianship of the representatives of the people. It is only due to the late Samuel Canard to state, in connection with so important a portion of the history of Nova Scotia, that the delegates, in a letter addressed to the Honorable Dr. Tupper, the Pro- AA m 398 HrSTORY OF NOVA SCOTfA. If t . Vincial Secretary of the Proviijco, roportin<,Mho projcjross of the negotiations, under date London, 3lHt July, 1857, Htated that Mr. Cunard attended at their deliberations regularly, and that his sujiorior local information was of great advan- tage in the conduct of business, enabling him to perceive and urge on the Directors that the concessions to the Pro- vince, believed to bo excessive, were to a lai-ge extent com- pensated by the unembarrassed use of what was rosorvod. The debate in the Assembly on the arrangement entered into, and for the completion of which the formal sanction of the House was required, was conducted with more than or- dinary ability. On the vote being taken on the twenfy- second of February, 1858, the action of the delegatus was backed by thirty votes to nineteen. While a perusal of the speeches delivered in opposition leads to the conviction that not a few sound arguments were urged in favor of delay, yet "when a student of the coal question thinks of the many years that had elapsed since the contest botwoen the General Mining Association and the people had begun, that the delegates had combated ably and manfully for the interests of the country, with the sanguine expectation of being sup- ported by the Assembly, and that not one principle of an address to the Queen, which had passed in 1856 in the As- sembly, and on which the agreement between the delegates and the Association was based, had been sacrificed, he will probably feel constrained to admit that the House, in ratifying an agreement which has proved of vast importance to the full development of the mineral resources of the Pro- vince, acted most wisely. The Indian mutiny occurred in the year 1859, during which the courage and endurance of the British forces were put to the severest test. In the defence of Lucknow there was a Nova Scotian hero who so distinguished himself as to have received the thanks of the British Parliament, his ser- vice having been noticed in the most complimentary terms SKKTOH OF OENKRAL INOMS. 399 by loiuJing Htatosmon of uU piirties — wo refer to IMajor-Oon- oral Sir John IngliM, K.C.B., who was the son of the llif^ht Itevd. John IngliH, Lord Bi»hop of Nova Scotia, whose father was the Hovd. Dr. Charles Inglis, the first Protestant Bishop in the British Colonies, having been consecrated for the Soo of Novn Scotia in the year 1787. Young Inglis entered the arnr. isign in a foot regiment in 1833, served with the (he ^ econd regiment in Canada duringtho rebellion of 1837, aiid was present at the actions of St. Denis and St. Eustache. He took part in the Punjaub campaign of 1848 -49, and was present at the first and second siege oi>orations before Mooltan, including the ottack on the enemy's position in front of the advanced trenches on the twelth of Se])lem- bcr, where, after the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Pattoud, ho .succeeded to the command of the right column of attack. He commanded the Thirty-second regiment ut tho action of Soorjkooned, and ho was also present at the storming and captm-o of tho city and surrender of tlio forti-ess of Mooltan, the surrender of the fortress and garrison of Cheinoto, and tho battle of Goojerat, for which services ho received tho '•revet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, together with a medal and clasps. At Lucknow, General Inglis defended himself with a feeble band for eighty-seven days against tho attacks of fifty thousand rebels, till at length he was relieved aftoi a resistance which has been pronounced without precedent m modern warfare. Tho Assembly of his native province jiro- eontod him with a sword — a mark of distinction which was never more gallantly won. Lord Panmure said in tho T^'ontto of Commons that in tho history of tho defence of fortified places in modern times, scarcely a single instance exhibited a list of privations so great, endured for so long a period, or with a front so dauntless, and ending with a success so com- plete as the defence of Lucknow ; and Lord Derby, Lord Palmerston and Mr. Disraeli spoke in tho same strain. Tho ladies of Halifax were not unmindful of Lady Inglis, a f M [if 400 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. for in April, 1858, thoy prescntod to her, tlirough a deputa- tion of Nova Scotians, headed by Sir Samuel Cunard, a splendid copy of the Bible. The book was bound in dark purple morocco, mounted with chased gilt claps and corner pieces, bearing the national Emblems, the rose, thistle, and shamrock, with th*^ modest mayflower. On the fifth of August, 1858, telegraphic communication Letween Europe and the Continent of America was com- plc ted. The Telegraph fleet sailed froni Queenstown, in Ir aland, on Saturday, the seventeenth of July, and arrived at nJd-ocean on "Wednesday, the twenty-eighth. Next day two of the ships, whose complement of the cable had been paid out, returned to England — the Niagara and Gorgon leaving for Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, where the cable was landed. The intelligence was received with great joy in Ilulifax and elsewhere, and duly celebrated. The first message sent was one from the Queen of England to the President of the- United States ; the second was his reply. " World 1 what a wc ider is this ? Grandly and simply sublime : All the Atlantic abyss Leapt in a moment of time." In this year Sir J. Gaspard LeMarchant v/as succeeded in the office of Lieutenant-Governor by the Earl of Mulgrave. In January, 1859, Mr. Martin I. "VVilkins, member for Pictou county and Solicitor-General, retired from the Admin- istration — the i-easons of his resignation having been com- municated in a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor. One of these was the appointment of Mr. Dickey, of Amherst, to the Legislative Council, and another the appointment of a dele- gation to England on railway business without the previous sanction of the Legislature. The Government replied to Mr. Wilkins' complaints and arguments ; both communications were published. On Mr. Wilkins' resignation, Mr. W. A^ Henry was appoinrod Solicitor-General. ELECTION DISPUTES. 401 In this year a general oloction took place, after which the party of which Mr. Young was the leader claimed a majority, and accordingly presented a memorial to the Governor, signed by that gentleman and twenty-eight other members elect of the House of Assembly, prajing for an early meet- ing of the House. To that application the following reply was sent on the twentj'^-fii'st of July to the memorialists by the Provincial Secretary — Dr. Tapper : " I have it in command from His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor to inform you that yoiu' memorial, announcing to His Excellency your intention to oppose the present Government, and offering your views upon the pi'oper time for assembling the Legis- lature, has received the careful consideration of His Excel- lency and '10 Executive Council; and I am further com- manded to state that, while the Lieutenant-Governor v/ill bo at all times ready to' give due weight to the sentiments of gen- tlemen holding the influential position of the memorialists, His Excellency cannot, he conceives, accept advice on the subject of the memorial from any other than his constitu- tional advisors, without disregarding theEoyal instructions, infringing upon the system of responsible government ejtab- lished in this colony, and compromising the position of strict impartiality between political parties, which it is His Excel- lency's firm determination to preserve." Tlie Assembly met in January, 1860. Previous to the appointment of a Speaker, the Attorney General, Mr. Johnston, callc attention to the alleged fact that there were certain pei'sons present who were ineligible to sit or vote there — enumerating those whom ho deemed disqualified. The Attorney General then pi-oposod John C. Wade as Spea ker, and the Hon. Wm. Young proposed Stewart Campbell when twenty-eight voted for Mr. Campbell, and twenty-five for Mr. Wade. The Governor in his speech congratulated the House on .now and valuable discoveries having been recently made in . :•'.!■ Wa f '. ., > [- 402 H'STORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. tlie mineral resources of the Province, thereby stimulating- Provincial enterprise, and attracting foreign capital ; and also on the operations of the General Mining Association being extended under existing arrangements. lie also alluded to his action in causing the formation of Yolunteor companies in the Province — the Home Government having supplied Enfield rifles for the purpose of arming them. The vote taken on the election of Speaker indicated that the opposition had a majority of two in the new House, but the Government contended that five or six of the members were disqualified from sitting there, as they held offices of emolument under the Government at the time of their elec- tion ; and the Attorney General accordingly proposed a resolution to the effect that the charge of ineligibility should be investigated by the House, but the resolution was nega- tived by a majority of two. The Executive Council in these circumstances deemed it their duty to advise the Lieutenant Goveinor to dissolve the Assembly, when His Excellency req . st* J them to submit their advice in writing, which was accoi ...agly done. Shortly after the election the Council dx*ew the attention of the Governor to the circumstance that a number of persons had been elected in violation of a law by which such persons were not eligible candidates for seats in the Assembly, inasmuch as holding offices of emolument, they had not tendered their resignation of them before the statutory period. On obtyining this information, the Governor request- ed the Attorney and Solicitor General to prepare in legal form a case, with their opinion as to the bearing of the law on its merits, which being done. His Excellency forwarded the documents to London in order to obtain the advice of the Law oSicors of the Crown on the subject, lloferring to the deliverance of the Attorney and Solicitor General of England on the case submitted to them, the Council in their minute said : THE GOVERNOR AND HIS COUNCIL. 403 "On the more essential points the English Law oflScers agreed in opinion with your Excellencies Attorney and Solicitor-General. In terms alto- gether unreserved and unequivocal they stated their concurrence with the opinion of your Law officers that many office keepers, health inspectors, coroners, surveyors of shipping, commissioners for taking bail, Ac, came under the operation of the act, and were ineligible to serve in Parliament, and that although there were no means to prevent them taking their seats and voting, till removed by the House, yet were they to be maintained in their seats by the votes of a majority created by their combination with a party in the House, a wrong would be committed which would deprive the acts of the Assembly of the consideration to which otherwise they would be entitled, and which wjuld reuvler it necessary for the Crown to put an end to the existence of the House." The Government contended that the emergency supposed had arrived, and that immediate dissolution was necessary. They selected the cases of Lewis A. W. McLelan, and A. McNutt Cochran, submitted evidence shewing that they were paid officials of Government and therefore ineligible to sit in the Assembly as represen- tatives. "Men," said the Government, "known to be ineligible, because shown to be ineligible by certain and unanswerable evidence, by their own votes created a majority which has attempted to change the Government. There must be a time and mode by which such men shall be removed from a position they occupy only in violation of law, otherwise the Constitution must be absurdly deficient in the maintenance of the institutions of the country, — but reason, justice and the exigencies of public business forbid that in the meanwhile they should exercise functions which it is known now as well as it can be known hereafter they do not possess— if by such exercise rights should be violated, the public business obstructed, and great mischief entailed." The Governor, in a memorandum for the Executive Council, said that ho had carefully considered their minute, and that if he considered that the duty devolved upon him of determining the clegibility or ineligibility of members returned to sit in the Assembly, the arguments advanced would be unanswerable, and he should feel boiuid— having ascertained that the disqualifications alleged were clearly proved— to exercise the Royal prerogative, and appeal to the country, before regarding a vote which was passed by members not qualified to sit in the Assembly. Such, how- ever, was not the case. Parliament had always assorted its -I 404 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. i i I i'"' m exclusive right to judge of the eligihility of its members, and exr-ept in cases where the law had affixed penalties to be reserved in a Court of Justice for sitting and voting contrary to its provisions, this power had been always most jealously maintained, and such was the practice which had been uniformly followed in the colony. Did ho permit him- self to decide whether these members were eligible or not, he should feel that he was usurping a poAver which did not belong to him. In a minute of Council of the twenty-eighth of July, certain members elect of the House of Assembly were alleged " to labor under personal disqualification to be elected, and that they could not take the qualification oath without perjury, or vote without a bold and open defiance of law." It was this, with other statements, which induced the Governor to request the opinion of his law advisers, in order to ascertain whether it was his duty to consider the evidence on which the opinion of his Council was based, and to be guided independently of the opinion of the Assembly in his future action, according to the impression made by that evidence, and thus exorcise, if necessary, the Eoyal prerogative delegated to him by dissolving the Assembly. That the members to whom the Council objected, and respecting whose election they had expressed so strong an opinion, wore entitled on being returned — as they wore — by the Sheriif as duly elected to take their seats and vote, is most unequivocably stated by tho British Attorney and Solicitor-General : — " We see nothing," they say, " to pre- vent a member from sitting and voting, although holding one of the offices in question, until he has been unseated by the Assembly ; " but in the absence of any attempt on the jjart of the House to set the law as it stood at defiance, such as — in a case supposed — passing a resolution or an act, for giving the disqualified parties ex post facto eligibility, it '1 . *. DISQUALIFICATION OP MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY. 405 is clear that the opinion of the Crown lawyers was that the exorcise of the prerogative would not be justifiable. That the Government were right in the opinion expressed as to the disqualification of at least several of the persons objected to, is beyond dispute — the evidence adduced being such as could not by law or casuistry be set aside, but it was the exclusive province of the House of Assembly to try the case, or to decide summarily regarding it. That the evidence was so clear and palpable as to require no judicial inquiry, did not warrant a departure from legitimate forms of Par- liamentary jiroccdure, and as in the case of a deliberate murder, of which the judge appointed to try such cases was a spectator, he would not bo justified in at once pronouncing sentence and ordering the criminal for execution without a legal trial, so in that under review, the Governor would be assuming functions which did not belong to him if, on satis- factory evidence of disqualification being produced, he proceeded on his own personal estimate of the circum- stances to dissolve the Assembly. Some, at least, of the persons objected to, were returned in gross violation of a statute passed two years previously ; but the constitutional antidote lay with tho Assembly itself. It was extremely irritating to the Government to be unseated by a vote so obtained, but the unquestionable right of the disqualified members to sit for the time being in the Assembly, and vote in the transaction of its business, rendered a constitutional avoidance of the dilemma impossible. A perusal of the chapter in the second volume of Hatsell, in which prece- dents of disqualification on account of oflfice are cited, as Avell as of the observations of Hatsell himself, will satisfy, wo think, any unprejudiced reader, as it has satisfied us, that the English House of Commons has always claimed tho right to decide as to the qualification of its members, inde- pendently of any extraneous advice. Nor will this impression be probably weakened, but on the contrary, i , 'i , f l 'J pf ' m 1 m m ' y. '\ -I 406 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. strengthened, by reading a series of elaborate letters written by " a constitutional lawyer" in the Colonist, whose object was to prove that Loi-d Mulgravo was wrong in the decision to which he had come. That the opposition availed themselves of the presence in the Assembly of dis- qualified members to obtain a vote of want of confidence, cannot be recorded to their credit. The occasion was one when party considerations should have been laid aside, and when the House was bound in vindication of its purity and dignity to have, by formal resolution, expelled Government officials who had been elected in direct violation of a statute, respecting whose import, as applied to some of the cases in jjoint, there could not be in the mind of a sane man any doubt. We say by formal resolution, because it was quite competent to adopt that mode of expulsion. The terms of the law daringly violated were so ex})licit, and the violation of it so palpable, that formal procedure by peti- tion and committee might have been with propriety dis- pensed with. This view was ably advocated by the Provincial Secretary, Dr. Tupper, and the constitutionality of such procedure was fairly adduced, among other reasons, from the answer to the following qiiestion embodied in the case already referred to as having been submitted for the opin- ion of Crown Council in England : " In the case of a person disqualified being returned by the Sheriff as having been elected by a majority of votes, ought in law his seat to be declared vacant merely, or is the person having at the election the next greater number of votes legally entitled to the seat ?" Answer : " Considering this question by analogy to the proceedings of the British House of Com- mons, it would bg for the House, either on a report of a com- mittee or otherwise, to prunounce the election void, or declare the canvlidate next on the poll duly elected." It may seem paradoxical to justify Parliamentary action, which would, by resolution, nullify certain elections, while A NEW GOVERNMENT. 407 the rofusnl of the Lieutenant-Governor to dissolve the House is approved — to affirm that the reasons which were suffi- ciently cogent to sanction the expulsion of disqualified members were not equally strong as applying to the duty of ordering a dissolution ; but the cases are not parallel. The Governor knew that the House of Assembly had the constitutional power to defend its own privileges, and main- tain its own purity, and judiciously declined to use the Eoyal prerogative in a case where the remedy was already in the hands of the Assembly itself. He assumed that the House was the best judge and guardian of its own honor. If the House had, by a positive act or resolution, violated its con- stitution, then the prerogative could be usod with propriety and effect, but in the absence of such positive violation the Governor wit^ely abstained from its exorcise. The advice tendered in good faith by the Government having been refused, their immediate resignation followed as a consequence. The new Government consisted of Wm. Young, President of the Council ; Joseph Howe, Pi-oviuclul Secretary; Adams G.Archibald, Attorney General; Jonathan McCully, Solicitor General; John H. Anderson, Receiver General; William Annand, Financial Secretary; Benjamin Weir and John Locke being also members of the Executive Council. In the month of Juno, 1860, the Lieutenant-Governor was officially informed that the Prince of Wales proposed to land in Halifax on the thii'tieth of July following. The intelligence having been published was hailed with demonstrations of the liveliest satisfaction by all classes, and preparations were made to accord to the eldest son of our beloved Queen and the heir apparent to the British throne a reception becoming his rank. A liberal sum had been placed at the disposal of the Governor by the Legislature to provide for the reception and entertainment of so august a visitor, and the inhabitants mm iHi 111 ?i ■ I' 'I 'M m m A 403 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. of Halifax resolved that no private exiionso should bo S2mred to make the reception successful. His Royal Highness left Eigland on the tenth of July, arriving at St. John's, Newfoundland, on the evening of the twenty-third, where hw was received with the greatest enthusiasm. The "Hero" and " Ariadne" bear- ing His Royal Highness and suite, left St. John's on the twenty-sixth, and proceeded to Sydnoy, which no intimation of the intention of the Prince to visit had reached— the ships anchoring near the mines at ten o'clock un the morning of the twenty-eighth. The news of the Prince's arrival spread rapidly, and the Volunteers, most of whom were colliers, and engaged at their occupation in the mines, mustered with such promptness and in such force as if an invasion of the island were threatened, under the command of their highly esteemed commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Brown, F.G.S., F.R.G.S. His Royal Highness inspected the volunteers, with whose soldier-like appearance he expressed himself highly satisfied, des'/'ntr the Lieutenant-Colonel, who with all the officers were introduced ?eparately to the Prince, to express to the corps the pleasure he had derived from the inspection. From Halifax Mr. Brown received a letter written by command of the Prince by Major General Bruce, thanking him for his attention on the occasion of His Royal Highness' visit to Sydney, and sending for his acceptance an engraved portrait of the Prince. True to the appointed time the ships were signalled in Halifax on Monday morning, the thirtieth of July. On entering the harbor the royal squadron was saluted by all the forts in succession, and by all the ships of war. At twelve o'clock His Royal Highness left the 'Hero,' and proceeded to land at the Dock Yard, where he w^s received by Rear Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, the Earl of Mulgrave, Major General TroUope, the Judges of the Supreme Court, the Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia, the members of the Execu- tive Council, the members of the Legislative Council and House of Assem- bly, the Mayor and Corporation of Halifax, and other dignitaries. The Sixty-second regiment formed the guard of honor. Then followed an ad- dress from the Mayor and members of the City Council, read by Mr. Sutherland, the Recorder. In replying to which the Prince said, — " In your noble harbor the navies of Britain can ride in safety, whilst you prosecute that commercial activity which, under their protection, would seem destined to make Halifax one of the most important cities of the Wes- tern world, and to raise her inhabitants to a high position of wealth and prosperity. That such may be the position reserved for it by Providence is my earnest hope." The Procession was then formed, consisting of the Pire Department and Engine Companies, and all the leading societies in the city — the streets being lined by the volunteers and the soldiers of the Garrison. The whole city and the inhabitants of the surrounding country THE PRINCE OP WALES. 40» turned out to greet His Royal Highness, and during his progress to Government House he was received with a degree of enthusiasm that could not be surpassed. The most pleasing feature of the day's proceedings, and the one with which His Royal Highness was most delighted, was the scene presented in Barrington street, where on a raised platform were present four thousand neatly dressed children, fluttering with delight as the pro- cession passed. When his Royal Highness appeared they rose simultane- ously and sung an anthem. At its close three hearty cheers were given by the children, and myi'.ads of little handkerchiefs fluttered in the air. Tho citizens vied with each other in the elegance and splondoi' of tho decoration of their house.s — the gene: d effect being admirable. On Tuosda}', a general review of the troops of the garrison and volunteers was held on tho common. In the evening there Avas an illumination, and a ball took place in tho Province Building, and was very largely attended. On Thur.sday, His Eo3'al Highness left tho city, being accom- panied to Windsor by tho Eifle Volunteers, tho Mayor and a number of citizens. The arrangements were excellent, and the Prince expressed himself highly pleased with tho truly royal reception with which he was greeted by tho citizens of Halifax.* * Wlien travelling recently in tlie State of New York, we were sorry to observe that even amongst educated Americans there is prevalent a most unfavorable, and, as we believe, an utterl}' unfounded impression respecting the morals of the Prince of Wales. This has been pro- duced by every breath of calumny, originating in the purient recesses of the Continent of Europe or the British Isles, being wafted across the Atlantic by newspaper correspondents whose function seems to be the collection of sensational intelligence to gratify a morbid propensity which ought to bo repressed, but which is unfortunately stimulated and nourished by a species of fictitious literature, whose tendency is to weaken the intellect and corrupt the heart. Were the character of the Prince really such as that indicated, the fact would be well known in Britain, and no such tender sympathy for him would have moved the national heart as existed, and found unbounded expression when he was brought so near the gates of death that little hope of his recovery was entertained — a corresponding elevation of national feel- ing taking place when the crisis had passed. It would seeiji as if the Prince's illness were intended to purify the atmosphere of American public opinion in reference to His Royal Highness — whom God pre- serve. ^'>U H i I ■ Hi '•? I ■Hi 410 UISTOUY OP NOVA SCOTIA. Wo must now notice the death of a venerable judge and respected citizen, which occurred in this year. We refer to the decease of Sir Brenton .Halliburton, Chief Justice of the Province, of whom a memoir was published by Messrs. James Bowes & Sons, in 18G4, the author being tlie Eov. G. W. Hill, M.A. ; an imjiortant contribution to the Provincial literature, written with equal ease and elegance by one who appreciated the sterling qualities of the departed, and who has produced a book full of interesting matter. Sir Breuton Halliburton was the second son of the Honorable Dr. John Halliburton, who for many years was at the head of the Naval Medical De- partment in Halifax, and who was also a member of Council. The Dr. was a staunch loyalist, and resided in Rhode Island, then a British colony, when Brenton was born. At the time of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, in 1781, Brenton was about six years of ago. Mr. Hill, his biographer, records that, coming out of school, he heard the people calling through the streets, " Good news !" " Glorious news 1" Asking tLc c iuse of the cry, he was informed of the surrender of the Royalist troops, where- upon he raised the counter-cry, " Bad news, bad newsl" An old Quaker, who lived opposite to Dr. Halliburton, and bitterly disliked him for his loyalty, hearing the boyish shouts, bustled out and enquired who cries " Bad news ? " Seeing and hearing the little loyalist in the act, so exasperated were his feelings that he actually gave him in charge to some militia men who were passing at the time, and directed them to carry him to the jail. They obeyed orders and led oflF their dangerous prisoner in triumph. He was not, however, long detained within the walls. The jailor's wife hap- pening to have been an old servant in his father's family, treated the little fellow to tea and cake and sent him home. After his father's removal to Halifax, he was sent to school in England, and returning to Halifax com- menced the study of the law. AVhen the Provincial regiments were raised during the French revolutionary war, Brenton joined the Nova Scotian Fencibles, from which, at the recommendation of the late Duke of Kent, he was transferred to the Seventh Royal Fusileers, then stationed in Ha- lifax. He discharged his military duties with marked fidelity, but ultimately abandoned them and resumed the profession of the law. In 1799, Mr. Halliburton married the eldest daughter of the Right Rev. Dr. Charles Inglis. Eight years thereafter he was appointed a judge in the Supreme Court, and iu 1816 became a Councillor — the members of Council being twelve in number, and discharging both executive and legislative duties. In 1833, Mr. Halliburton was appointed Chief Justice of SKETCH OF SIR BRENTON HALLIBURTON. 4tl 'Bad the Province, and became an ex officio President of the Council, which po- sition he held till the year 1838, when the executive was separated from the legislative, and the Chief Justice and judges ceased to be members of either. Mr. Halliburtoii was a member of the Church of England, but was friendly to other Christian denominations. As a judge he discharged his functions with ability, aud most conscientiously. In social life he was exemplary — full of quiet humour and anecdote. A little more than a year before his death, in answering an address of congratulation from the Bar on his elevation to a knighthood, he closed with the following touching words : " And now, gentlemen, accept of an old man's affectionate prayer for your welfare ; may you at the close of life feel the great comfort of having made your peace with God through the merits of your Saviour. God bless you all." On the sixteenth of July, 1860, and in the eighty-fifth year of his age, " the old pilgrim," — in the beautiful language of his bio- grapher — "finished his course, and laid down his staff; the soldier had fougul the fight and received the crown; the servant had done his work and laid down to rest." If tho patriotism and daring of the soldier who sutfors or dies in his country's service, or the public spirit and benefi- cence of the eminent citizen who spends the energies of a protracted life in well-doing, inspire admiration and deserve Ji permanent record, what shall we say of the man wlio resolves to devote himself to missionary life ; and after qua- lifying himself for the work by years of hard study, poring over his books, it may be, in some obscure attic, and faring anything but sumptuously every day, leaves his native land in order to consecrate his life to the most self-denying of services — sacrificing the society of relations, the pleasures of friendship, and the amenities of civilized life — truly oflFering himself a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, in order to christianize and civilize the heathen — boldly and bravely with the lamp of divine truth in his hand penetrating into the dark places of the earth which are full of the habitations of cruelty? The conquests of such a hero in the service of the Prince of Peace, girded with the sword of the spirit, his shield that of faith, and his helmet that of salvation, com- mands infinitely more admiration than those of the most "01 ''■>'■ •m\ . ■ ■ f ■■ 412 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ronowned clinmpion that over drew carnal weapon, or stood forth In full panoply to hoar the plaudits and rocolvo tho homage of admiring thousandrt. These ohservations have been sugge.sted by the intelligence which reached this coun- try in tho year 1802, that a misHionary and hin wife, senj; forth by the Presbyterian Church of tho Lower Provincon, fell martyrs in tho Island of Eromanga, on tho twentieth of May of tho previous year. Though tho honor of giving birth to Gcorgo Nicol (Jordon belongs to Prince Edward Island, yet ho labored in !Nova Scotia so long, and was so v/ell known there, that our friends in tho Island will pardon U8 for thinking of him as at least partly belonging to tho Peninsula. lie was born at Cascumpcc, now called Albcrton, on tlie twenty-first of April, 1822- being the fourth son, and tho fifth child, in a family of nine, lu the autumn cf 18j0, George came to Xova Scotia with the intention of attending the educational institutional Ilorton, but meeting vith students of the Free Church College, in the city, ho changed his mind and remained in Halifax. Not being qualified to enter as a regular student, he first attended the academy in connection with the College. lie w:i5 an earnest student, and made rapid progress. In the year 1851 he attended the The- ological Hall at West River, Pictou, and thence went to Halifax where he commenced his regular college studies. Ho bad a small farm in Prince Edward Island, which he was compelled to sell in order to be able to prosecute his studies. Writing to his brother in December he said — "It is almost a sin for me to have property, and to be suf- fering from cold as I am doing this winter. From the first I did not like the idea of parting with my farm, but now I consider it my duty to make sacrifices for the sake of my education." " Though his early education was extremely limited " remarks his fellow student, the Revd. Robert Murray, "so diligently did he labor, and so great was his aptitude for learning, that in the space of five years he was not only a good English scholar, but had made very respectable progress In Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and in every other department of a liberal education." All this was the more creditable as, on the testimony of the same gentleman, his attainments on entering the Free Church College were scarcely above the average of farmers or mechanics. It was doubtless his deficiency in this respect that caused bis proposal to devote himself to the ministry to be at first received coldly by friends in whose judgment he had confided. In such circumstances nothing ■ ! MR. AND MRS. OORDON. 419 but a firm resolution, based oar. sense of duty and conscious power, could have prompted Mr. Gordon to persevere. Ills excellent biogrnpher,from whom we derive our facta, records that one man liad for two years worlteJ sccrutly to accomplish his ruin, from which ordeal he emerged scithcless. Such viU latns, with their significant nods, shaking of head:;, and shrugging of slioul- ders are not iiermitted to go beyond what God permits in their infamous procedure. Gordon's intimate friends knew the man, and interposed their shield for his protection from the shafts of malice, and the inucndoes of spuriousvirtuo. In 1854 Mr. Gordon wrote to his brother. "I am now regularly through with my philosophical and theological courses. So you see what perseverance, with God's blessing, accomplishes. I could not have thought of such a thing live years ago. Then I sulTered much, and endured many hardships, especially one winter in a cold room, and at times without any- thing to cat, still I got up the hill difficulty, for a kind hand was near to assist me." In 1852, Mr. Gordon called on Mr. S. L. Sluinnon, the secretary of the Bible Society, to whom ho was a s ranger, but who through the rough ex- terior of the peasant discovered the elements of a true man— the somewhat rough and worn disciple— as he remarked— soon to ripen into the true chris- tian gentleman. He was now engaged as a city missionary— work which he prosecuted with ardour and success. Having resolved to become a mis- sionary to the heathen in the South Seas, he addressed a letter to the Revd. P. G. McGregor, offering himself for the office. He was duly accepted. In 1853, Mr. Gordon, whose system had been predisposed to disease from hard study, and the tainted atmosphere which he breathed in his labors among the poor, was attacked with typhoid fever. He remained long in a critical condition, but had the good fortune to be attended by the Honorable Dr. Parker, under whose care he recovered. He was confined to his bed for seven weeks, expecting a formidable account for professional services, but upon application for the account, received it receipted. The medical faculty require to be well paid by those who can afford it, for as a body they devote more time, which is money, to charitable purposes than almost any other professional class. Visiting London previous to his departure for the South Seas he was in- troduced tc Miss Powell, his future wife— a woman of genuine piety and cultivated mind. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon sailed in the " John Williams" in July, 1856. Their labors on Eromanga commenced on the seventh of June, 18^ 7. Our limits will not permit an extended notice of the devoted energy and fidelity with which they discharged their duties as missionaries. We can only give the particulars of the closing scene. On the morning of the twelfth of May, 1861, Mr. Gordon and his wife worshipped together for the last time on BB «|,i i^ i 1 1 '' 1 r 1/ ,i^ 1' 1' 'J 414 HISTOaT OP NOVA SCOTIA. fir I ; .' I I n ' i ,1 « ; >^' earth. Before the rising sun had attained an elevation to admit of out-door work, t':" missionary, with a little band of youthful disciples, leaving his lowly ab ide in the keeping of his devoted helpmate, descended the hill to resume hu work at a wiuter residence further down the slope. At that house he was engaged till noon. The lads were at a distance gathering grass to cover the roof of the now dwelling. A band of savages, nine in all, with murderous intent drew nigh. They came from Bankil, a place distant seven or eight miles. In a small thicket, situated between the abode on the hill, and the new one in couru=!e of erection, eight lay in ambush, while the ninth, Narubuleet, proceeded to the spot where the object of his deadl" design was at work, and accosted him thus :— " T want some calico for myself and some men waiting at the Mission House." Taking up a piece of board the missionary wrote on it with a piece of charcoal, " Give these men a yard of cotton each," then handing it to Narubuleet. said, " take this to Mrs. Gordon, and she will give you what you want." " liOva wislies to see you io get some medicine for a sick man, you had better come yourself," replied the savage. " Se., I have not eaten vet, but never mind, I «an do so as well at the house," said the unsuspect- i«g niiiiionary, (ftjnting at the s.iT.e time to n plate on wl)icii his wife had seat him some food. Wrapping the plate in a handk>n'chief he started for the house, followed by the savage. The ambush reached, the savage plunged a tomahawk into his unsuspecting victim's spine, and he fell, uttering aloud cry. The others immediately rushed upon him and all was soon over. The breeze speedily wafied his expiring cry, mingled with savage yells and fiendish shouts, to the ear of his wife. One victim secured, the assas- sins, save one, remained to hack the body. That one ran to the house to seek the other object on whom their vengeance must be wreaked. A^larmed by the noise, she hastened to an out-house, and standing there, listened with a fluttering heart. The murderer approaching with tomahawk concealed, she inquired : " Cuben, what is the matter? what is all that noise about ? " "Nothing ; it is only the bo^s playing," Cuben replies. "Where are the boys?" she asked, and in her agitation turned round to look, when the murderer seeing the opportunity, struck his tomahawk in her shoulder blade. She fell on a heap of grass, and one more blow nearly severed her head from the body. The cause of the tragedy was attributed to a visitation of measles and dysentery which had ravaged the island, the introduction and fatal effects of which the natives attri- buted to the missionary. Mysterious that this tragedy should be succeeded by an^ ;?^'ri:F lIV;' JOHN WILLIAMS THE MISSIONARY. 415 ion of id, the attri- by an- other, and that the victim should be a brother of the pi-cvious martyr. The Ecv. James D. Gordon was born at Alberton — the same place, and we may suppose, in the same house as his brother. lie studied under Professors Ross, McCuUoch and Lyall at Truro. Under Doctors King and Smith and Professor McKnight he was pursuing his theological course, when he received intelligence of the murder of his brother and IMrs. Gordon. lie hastened homo to comfort his mother, but the painful news did not make liim swerve from his determination to become a missionary. Having offci-ed his services to the Board of the Now He- brides Mission, they Avere accepted, and ho sailed in the Bayspring, with the Eev. Messrs. IMorrison and McCuUagh, in 1863. lie chose, as the field of his laboi'S, the island on Avhich his brother perished. For eight years he was a faith- ful worker on the island, but in 1872, ia Tieiting native parents who had just been bereaved of their children, they charged him with witchcraft, and tomahawked him on the spot— thus adding another martjT to those who had already perished. The mother of these honored men thus lived to receive the tidings of another son sacrificed ;.it his post, and she has the deepest sympathy of all Christians to whom her double bereavement is known. The first missionary who i^erif/hed at Eromanga was John Williams, sent forth to the South Seas by the London Missionary Society in 1818. He returned to England on a visit in 1834, and in 1837 published his fascinating book, " A Narrative of Missionary Enterprise in the South Sea Islands," which commanded a sale of thirty-eight thousand copies in five years. Returning to the scene of his !;>' ors, he visited Eromanga in the year 1839. Ho landed on the island on the twentieth of November, when, in trying to conciliate the natives by offering them presents, ho was clubbed to death. At the time ho visited Britain the writer of these lines was a boy, and well does he remomber the i 416 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I m '') I ■ Ik I, *•$ portly form of John Williams as he preached a sermon in the town of Greenock, in which he gave an account of his proceedings in the South Seaa. In appearance he would pass as a good representative of John Bull. In person ho was remarkably stout, but had a fine countenance, whicii sparkled with kindness and intelligence, as, in the most simple style, he narrated the thrilling incidents in his event- ful life. In December, 1861, Prince Albert died of a fever, which was understood to have originated from having slept in a damp room when on a visit to the Prince of Wales at Cam- bridge. It was afterwards increased by attending a review of the Eton Volunteers. No one could have performed the duties of his high station more satisfactorily. Pure in life,^ highly intellectual and well informed, lofty in his aspirations, and ever active and energetic in his efforts to advance science, and stimulate the industrial energies of the country, he died universally regretted, and with a reputation un- sullied. The Lieutenant-Governor having received official information of the death of the Prince, a "Gazette Extra- ordinary" was issued, in which the Civil Officers of the Government and Her Majesty's subjects in Nova Scotia were invited to put themselves in mourning, as a tribute of re- spect for His Royal Highness. On the twelfth of January, 1861, a fii*o broke out in a store where the new Province Building now stands, and to- tally destroyed two blocks. The year 1857 was ushered in by a great conflagration, which swept away the business part of Hollis street, part of Granville street, and destroyed St. Matthew's Church; and on the ninth of September 1859, the most destructive fire ever known in Halifax oc- curred in Granville street. Before it was extinguished over one million dollars worth of property was destroyed. Whilst these fires were regarded as serious calamities at the time FIRES IN HALIFAX. 417 of their occurrence, yet they cleared sites for the handsome buildings which now grace the city, and also led to the re- organization of the Fire Brigade, which is now in point of eflficiency and esprit de corps equal to any on the continent of America. wt ir CHAPTER XIX. i P^ffl '■1 % ...■- i '•i' -■ ' ■■; ■a ! ■ V- ):'■ , ^ V'i ;■. re "■'' - . 1 ^•-'t If.. ■ f ■ f* ; ) ■ ',«' ■■ ■ !^ >. iK' -^s International Exhibition ot 1862 — Contributions from Nova Scotia — Excellence of the fruit — Formation of the Fruit Growers' Asso- ciation — Death of Hugh W-Blackadder — General election of 1863 — Defeat of the Government — The new administration— The open- ing of the Legislature — Debate on Dr. Tupper's Education Bill — Remarks on the educational question — Death of Dr. A. Gesner — Appointment of Hon. J. W. Johnston to the office of Judge in Equity — Re-construction of the Government. The Imperial Commissioners of the International Exhibi- tion hold in London in 1862, having sent, in March, 1861, to the Colonial Governments an invitation to have their respective Provinces represented, it was resolved by the Government of Nova Scotia to respond to the invitation, and with that view they constituted a Board of Commis- ioners, consisting of gentlemen acquainted with the re- sources of the Province, of which the Provincial Secretary was chairman ; Mr. A. Mackinlay, vice-chairman, and Mr. E. G. Haliburton, secretary. Public meetings in connection with the movement were held in the Province, and commit- tees were appointed on minerals, manufactures, natural history, agriculture and fish, of which Andrew Mackinlay, James Thompson, J. Matthew Jones, Dr. Forrester and Benjamin Weir were respectively chairmen. The Secrotary> Mr. Haliburton, and Dr. Howe, the Professor of Chemistry at King's College, visited many of the towns of the Pro- vince, holding meetings, and showing the importance of every section of the Province contributing to make the coming exhibition creditable to its resourc m and industiy. The valuable services of Dr. Honeyman were secured for the geological and mineral department. The Committees worked with vigor and determination, and with remark- able success, considering the short period allowed for the prosecution of INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION. 419 their labors. The coal fields were repre.jnted by seven large specimens from the different localities, the most remarkable being from the Albion mines, Pictou, the vein from which the specimen exhibited was taken being one of the largest in the world, its vertical section being from thirty-three to thirty-six feet. There were also splendid samples of coal from the Sidney mines, the Lingan mines, Glace Bay, and the Fraser mine, with some oil coal from the Frazer mine and from Patrick's mine. The iron made from the ores obtained from the Acadian Iron Works was illustrated by four speci- mens of pig iron, also by bars cf iron. The Time^ correspondent having attacked the Provincial Commissioners for the specimens of iron ore ex- hibited, which were in reality only second, if not equal in quality to the best Swedish brands, Dr. Iloneyman and Mr. A. M. Uniacke sent replies which were not, however, inserted. The Times was doubtloss ashamed of the blunder, and not disposed to damage its reputation foi scientific ac- curacy by a withering exposure of the ignorance of its correspondent. That a medal was not awarded for the Acadian iron was solely attribut- able to the circumstance that one or two of the directors of the Acadian Charcoal Iron Company were appointed as jurors on iron, consequently the productions of the Company were ineligible for competition. The representation of the Geology and Mineralogy of the Province was declared, by the London Review, to be more exhaustive than that of Canada, while thflt of the latter was more exhaustive than that of Great Britain. The representation of minerals, collected and arranged by Pro- fessor Howe, was approved by two juries — the Educational Jury, and the Jury of Gla!S, Mining, and Metallurgy, while the valuable geological collection of Dr. Honeyman, illustrated by a map, was higlily appreciateu by the scientific world. The fish of the Province were represented by specimens preserved by J. M. Jones, by means of alconol, in clear glass jars — which mode of preserva- tion was found to be effective, the specimens excited admiration, and continued, recording to the interesting report of Dr. Honeyman, as fresh during the Exhibition as when they were prepared. A case of birds, sent by Mr. Downs, formed an attractive object in the Exhibition; great skill being manifested, not only in the perfect preserva- tion of the plumage of the birds, but in their peculiarly natural attitude, a characteristic of the art in which Mr. Downs excels. That Nova Scotia commanded a high position at the Exhibition is indi- cated by the fact that she was awarded either medals or honorable mention in fourteen classes or sections, being only surpassed in this respect by Victoria and New South Wales— a most wonderful result considering the very limited extent of the Province as compared with the great majority of i '^ P mm p~,rii 420 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. , f the other competing coloniea, and proving that Nova Scotia stands un- surpassed in the variety and extent of its resources by any other country of equal extent in the world. Specimens of fruit had been sent fiom Nova Scotia to the International Exhibition, but as it had to be preserved till May before being exhibited considerable deterioration both in quality and color was the consequence ; but the Royal Horticultural Society having arranged to hold a great inter, national show of roots, fruits, and cereals in October, 1862, in London, it was resolved to make an appeal especially to the fruit growers of the Pro- vince to exhibit samples of their orchards, while at the same time the committee desired to forward other agricultural productions which might be thought worthy of exhibition. This appeal, made by circular, was re- sponded to, and arrangements completed for the transmission of packages. The apples were arranged in flat trays with partitions, and packed in dry bran, which was found to answer admirably. " A difficulty arose," wrote Mr. Haliburton, the indefatigable secretary of the committee in his very interesting report, " in naming the different sorts of apples, three of them having been sent without any names attached, and appearing to be new varieties. Under these circumstances the committee took the liberty of giving them names, under the impression that they would never hear again of the specimens in question, for the utmost expected was that the collec- tion as a whole miglitbe approved of, as the product of a colony supposed, abroad, to be unsuited for the growth of fruit. Mi . D. Henry Starr sug gested the name of the ' Chebucto Beauty' — for a \ ery pretty apple of a clear, transparent white ground, marked with red. Another was designa- ted the ' Nova Scotia Seedling,' since changed by the Royal Horticultural Society into the ' York and Lancaster'; and a third was designated ' the Morning Star. ' It strangely enough happened that these three varieties attracted especial attention and admiration. Full descriptions have been published respecting them. The Royal Horticultural Society has given one of them the honor of a colored engraving in their proceedings for January ; and the Secretary has intimated to the Committee that it is possible that the representation of a second may hereafter anpear." " Little expecting such a result," continues Mr. Haliburton, " the Commit- tee in the great hurry of preparation, kept no memorandum of the contri- Dutors of these three varieties, nor any descriptions of them. Had they anticipated the result, they might have thought it advisable to have had photographs taken of them, though this was scarcely practicable from there being hardly time to have the articles pRcked in readiness for the steamer for Englaid." We quote here, however, the very gratifying enco- .mm m novj* scotian fruit. 421 mium paid to the ' Chebucto Beauty' which coming from a paper edited by Dr. Llndley, one of the very highest authorities on horticulture, is an honor that will doubtless be productive of profit as well as pleasure to the fortunate person who contributed the apple in question—" beautiful, how- ever, as these varieties undoubtedly must be admitted to be, that which seemed to possess the greatest interest in the eyes of visitors who inspected them, was a sort called ' Chebucto' — the Indian name for Halifax harbor — a round apple about the medium sue, possessing a skin as white, and even more transparent than that of the Pomme de Neige of the French, charmingly flaked and mottled. Than this nothing in its way could pos- sibly be handsomer. Associated with it was another carnation variety, of smaller size called the 'Nova Scotia Seedling'; but though more strikingly flaked than that just named, it is by no means so brilliant or attractive." The show was about to close when the Nova Scotia contributions ar- rived. On being unpacked the committee of management were astonished, and prolonged the show for a few days, in order to give the public an opportunity of seeing specimens of fruit which surpassed in beauty, and possibly equalled in flavor, any exhibited at the Great International Fruit, Root, and Gourd Show. Thousands of persons in whose imaginations Nova Scotia was associated With bleak and barren coasts, almost per- petually shrouded in mist, and redolent of piscatory odours, were aston- ished to find evidence of its being a fine agricultural country, with a cli- mate capable of producing fruit superior to any of which the most favored spots in the South of England could boast. " The Nova Scotia collection," said the Times, " is in itself worthy of a visit. It is small, but the beauty of the apples beats anything we have ever seen." " We smiled," said the Horticultural Society in their Report, " when we read in the Halifax Morning Sun the complacent announcement that the fruit which had been sent 'would rather astonish our English friends ;' but our incredulity has been rebuked, and we acknowledge that we have s6en nothing in the Exhibition that has astonished us more than the Nova Scotia fruit." The Gardener's Chronicle said : " Our readers and the visitors to the recent fruit shows of the Royal Horticultural Society cannot have forgotten the surpassing beauty and equal excellence of the apples contributed by the great colony of Nova Scotia. Certainly nothing like them had been pre- viously seen at any public exhibition in this country." The signal success of the Nova Scotian fruit exhibition in London, for which the Government had declined to grant any pecuniary aid in the absence of Legislative authority — a tenderness of governmental conscience which, con- •4' i^ I I-.. 422 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. sidering that the sum required, and for which application had been made, was only three hundred and fifty dollars, is very rarely indicated when purposes of a less useful and patriotic nature ai'o to bo served — suggested the idea of a permanent Horticultural Association. A meeting was accordingly hold in the Masons' Hall, numerously attended by farmers and fruit growers residing in the counties of IIalif{ix,nants, Kings, and Annapolis, when R. G. Haliburton occupied the chair, D. Henry Starr, being Secretary, and resolutions with the view of forming such an association were moved and seconded by Eichard Starr, Moses Shaw, Eev. John Storrs, and Dr. C. C. Ilamilton. To the proceed- ings of the important association thus inaugurated, we owe the spii'it of emulation tlAit animates our fruit growers, and the magnificent display of fruit which is annually proscntcil at their exhibitions. It is only due to E. G. Haliburton and David Henry Starr to record that to their united deter- mination and energy in conjunction with the readily accorded aid of the friiit growers, the Pi'ovince is mainly indebted for its celebrity as a fruit growing country', as well as the origin of the Fruit Growers Association. Nor can wo forget to mention that to the late Hon. C. E. Prescott belongs the honor of having imported the fruit trees, the production of which attracts so much notice. It may gratify our Canadian readers to know that most of our trees have been acclimatized in Canada West, or the United States. Except the Eibston Pippin, no English apple imported direct, has succeeded. Our best table apple, the Gravenstein, was first brought from Canada West. Mr. Prescott imported grafts from Italy and France, and also some supplied by Mr Knight of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, but they had almost all failed or degenerated. The name of Prescott will descend to posterity with an odour sweet and perennial as that of the fruit he introduced, whilst scores whom the Almighty had blessed with the means of advancing tho '^miu H. W. BLACKADER. 423 " every school founded on the assessment principle and declared free. In order to meet the necessities of the poorer districts, the Bill pro- vided thiit one-fifth of the entire amount placed at the disposal of each Board oi Commissioners, should be set apart for the purpose of supporting schools in the sparsely settled districts, in addition to the amount to which they were, entitled under the law. It was proposed to classify the teachers, according to their proficiency, and to pay them without reference to the wealth and population of the district in which they might be located. Such is an epitome of the explanation made by the Hon- orable Dr. Tupper, in introducing this important measure, ■which was received with considerable favor by the opposi- tion. Mr. A. G. Archibald, seconded by Mr, H. Blanchard and others, contended, however, that the Executive Council ought not to be constituted the Council of Public Instruction. " Hitherto " said Mr. Archibald " it had been the aim of all parties to keep the subject free from political influence, but he would ask what surer mode could be adopted to accomplish that which they had long striven to avoid than to make the Executive Government a Council of Public Instruction ? If they turned to the Canadian system or any other, they could not find a single instance of similar power being granted to the Executive as that contained in the first clause of the bill. Surely in the Province nine men could be found of sufii- .'nd fifteen there were thirty-six thousand who could not reaa. The number of children attending school in 18G3 was only thirty-one thousand, so that there were in the I'rovinco in that year fifty-two thousand children growing up without any educational training Avhatever. The Dominion census was taken in April, ISTl, and as wo write, in 187.3, only one volume of the five of which it is to consist has reached this Province, whicli prevents oar instituting & coiu])^rison of tho present educational condition of the country as com- pared with that of 18G1. The value of such statistics de- pends to a large extent on the promptitude with Avhich they are published. The Educational Act of 1804 was, unquestionably, ono of the most important measures, bearing on the moral and material interests of tho Province, that was ever introduced. It struck at tho very root of most of the evils which tend to depress tho intellectual energies and moral status of the people. It introduced the genial light of knowledge into the dark recesses of ignorance, opened the minds of thousands of little ones — tho fathers and mothers of coming generations — to a perception of the true and the beautiful, and placed Nova Scotia in the front rank of coun- tries renowned for common scliool educational advantages. Strange that Britain should have remained so long in the rear. In Scotland, indeed, every parish has had for many gen- erations its school, its educational endowment and its Pres- byterial inspection, but in England, as well as Ireland, not * \ > 428 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. even the embryo of a system worthy of the name of national education existed, before Joseph Lancaster began his labors in London, in 1808. I» was not, indeed, till 1833 that the British Government deigned to consider the subject at all, when the Privy Council began to make small grants in aid of school buildings. In 1839, a Committe of Council on Education was formed, and a system of Governmental inspec- tion of schools, receiving assistance, was instituted. Since that period a growing public opinion has compelled action on the part of the Government, and Britain will soon, it is to be hoped, come up to Nova Scotia in common school educational advantages ! In Prussia, the educational force of the country is as com- pletely and rigidly centralized in the Government as electri- city in a telegraphic battery. Hence the Prussian system of education, though extended in its ramifications to every section of the country, has become a mechanical element in the hands of the Government. In Holland and in France the systems are more under local management, while in the United States the question of education is never mooted in the General Congress, being left entirely to the several States. Though our system is iiot by any means brought to perfection, yet even the Great Fatherland might take a lesson from unpretending and modest Acadia in the business of common school instruction. In recen tly a isiting some of the public works of the city we have met with a considerable number of fine young men who were unable to read in consequence of the absence of schools in the localities in which they were brought up in their boy- hood. The remedy for this evil is the formation of evening classes, where apprentices and others may receive iustruc- tion in the elementary branches of education. It is to be hoped that stepc will be speedily taken to establish these classes in various sections of the city of Halifax, as well as in the more populous country towns in the Province. SKETCH OF DR. GESNER. 429 iity we in who IbcIiooIs iir boy- Ivening lustruc- boped isseB in le more In the year 1864, Abraham Gesncr, M.P., well known in the British North American Provinces, and the neighbouring Republic for his scientific attainments, died in Halifax. Dr. Gesner was the son of Colonel Gesner, a native of Rockland County, X. Y., and was born towards the close of the last century in Cornwallis. At the close of the American war, Dr. Gesnor's father, who had been an en- thusiastic Loyalist, and who had lost all his property in consequence o*^ his attachment to the British throne, had settled with a twin brother in Xova Scotifl. In early life young Gesner visited South America aud the West Indies, and was twice shipwrecked in making voyages to parts of the world where he could gratify his propensity for natural history, and in- crease his general store of useful knowledge. He afterwards went to Bri- tain, and studied medicine under Sir Astley Cooper and the celebrated Abernethy. In 1835 he was employed in a Geological survey of the Pro- vince of New Brunswick, which was discontinued in 1842 somewhat ab- ruptly, in consequence of disputes between the Executive Government aud the Legislature. H« had collected a museum of natural history which is now the property of the St. John's Mechanics' Institute. The Do»tor na- companied Sir Charles Lyell on his geolo2;ical tour through Nova Scotia. He will continue to be celebrated as the first discoverer of Kerosene oil and the modes of extracting oils from coal and other bituracnous substan- ces. He established in New York two extensive manufactories of oil, and was the instrument of promoting traffie in that article in many porta of the world. The Doctor's brain was ever active, and his pen constantly employed in giving the world the benefit of its product. His scientific works are clear and solid, and many of them highly appreciated by men competent to form a correct opinion as to their character. Gesner, though ho had not the advantages of early scholastic tra-ning, yet by application he conquered the difficulties incident to the deficiency, and attained to honor, usefulness and eminence. A reconstruction of the Government became necessary on account of the appointment of the Honorable Mr. Johnston to the ofiice of Equity Judge, and JuJgo in the Supreuie Court. The Honorable W. A. Black, who had occupied a seat in the Legislative Council for eighteen years, and who, on account of advancing j'ears and failing health, was un- al»lo to attend regularly, offered to resign his seat, with the request that it might bo oiFercd to J. W. Eitchie. The Honorable W. A. Henry, the oldest member of the House CO 430 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. II , I is i 'I \i (I i and who had hold prominent offices undevdiffci-ont Adminis- trations, succeeded 'Mr. Johnston in the post of Attorrv^y General. Mr. Eitchio was appointed to a seat in the Legislative Council, and also a seat in the Executive Council with the Solicitor-Generalship. The elevation to the Bench of Mr. Johnston was regarded with general satisfaction. He had faithfully and uninterruptedly repre- sented the county of Annapolis for twenty years, and though a staunch and uncompromising party politician, ■never transgressed the rules of honorable political warfare. i CHAPTEE XX. Arrival of Governor MacDonnell — Dr. Tupper's resolutions respecting the union of the Maritime Provinces — Previous history of Con- federation — Proposed conference at Charlottetown, P. E. I.— Political parties in Canada — Arrival of delegates from Canada at Charlottetown — Proposed union of the British North American Provinces — Banquet to the delegates at Halifax — Convention at Quebec — Adoption of John A. Macdonald's resolutions- Public meeting in Halifax respecting the Quebec scheme — Colonial Secretary's despatch to the Governor-General relating to the constitution of the Legislative Council — The Canadian Legislature address Her Majesty in favor of union — Opposition to the measure in New Brunswick — Change of policy in New Brunswick — Debate on Dr. Tupper's resolutions advocating union of the British Provinces in North America — The conference of delegates at London — The amended resolutions. Sir Eichard Graves MacDonnell having been appointed Lieutenant-Governor, arrived In Halifax, in June, 1864, and assumed the government of the Province. Dr. Tujiper introduced a resohition in the Assembly, ■bearing on the union of the Maritime Provinces ; but before giving any details as to the action of the Legislature on the subject during the session of 1864, it is necessary that a brief statement of the previous history of Confederation should be given. Tt is, perhaps, impossible to determine the exact period when the subject of a union of the Provinces of British North America was first publicly mooted. As we have .■already incidentally stated, Francis Nicolson, who was ap- 432 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. f '; .11 rn '■■■'^ ^^mic. B|BI^ m ^ 'S^ ^■i m ^ '^'"^m ^H pointed Governor of Now England, in 1688, was an advocate for the confederation of the British North American Prov- inces for purposes of defence. Chief Justice Sewoll, of Quebec, in 1814 addressed a letter to the Duko of Kent, in which ho proposed a Federal Union of British North America. The subject, however, did not become a public question until the publication of Lord Durham's Eeport, which was submitted to the House of Commons in 1839. When ho arrived in Canada he was in favor of a Federal Union — that is, a union in which the separate Legislature of each Province would be proserved in the form in which it then existed, and retaiti all its attributes of internal legisla- tion, in contradistinction to a legislative union, Avhich woidd imply a complete incorporation of the Provinces included in it under one Legislature, exercising universal and solo legis- lative authortty over all of them, in exactly the same manner as the British Parliament legislates for the whole of the British Isles. Lord Durham based his advocacy of a legislative union, which, after duo deliberation, ho prcfcrrerl on the following considerations : that it would enable the Provinces to co-operate for all common purposes ; that it would tend to form a great and powerful people, possessing the means of securing good and responsible government for themselves, and which, under the protection of the British Empire, might in some measure counterbalance the prcjion- derant and increasing intiuenco of the United States on the American Continent. Ho did not anticijiate that a Colonial Legislature thus strong and self-governing would desire to abandon the connection with Great Britain. On the con- trary, he believed that the practical relief from undue inter- ference which would bo the result of such a change, would strengthen the present bond of feeling and interest, and that the connection would only become move durable and advantageous, by having more of equality, of freedom, and of local independence. He also believed that the increased. LEGISLATIVE DISCUSSION OP UNION. 433 ■power and weight that would be given to the Colonies, so far from endangering their connection with the Empire, would be the means of fostering such a national feeling as would effectually counterbalance whatever 4endencie8 might exist towards separation. On the ground of the common foreign relations of the Provinces, as well as their existing internal relations, he advocated a legislative union. The first federative union which took place on the Con- tinent of America, was that which embraced Massachusetts, PljTnouth, Connecticut and New Haven, and was con- summated in 1648, its object being protection from the en- croachment of the French and Dutch, security against the savages, and the jn'otection of religious liberty ; its affairs being conducted by two Commissioners from each colony, irrespective of size or population. Though the subject of a union of the Amoi'ican Provinces was discussed by the British American League, in Toronto, in 1849, yet the first legislative discussion on the subject took place in the Assembly of Nova Scotia in the year 1854, when Mr. Johnston moved that the union or confederation of the British provinces on just jirinciples, while calculated to perpetuate their connection with the parent State, would promote tlieir advancement and prosperity, increase their strength and influence, and elevate their position — that his Excellency, the Lieutenant-Governor, by address, be respect- fully requested to make known to the Queen, and to the Governments of the sister Provinces of Canada, New BrunsAvick and Prince Edward Island his opinion, and the desire of the House to promote the object ; and that his Excellency, by correspondence with the Imperial and Provincial Governments, and all other means in his power, be urged to facilitate the consideration of a measure, which, if matured on principles satisfactory to the several Provinces, and calculated to secure their harmony, and bring into action their consolidated strength, must result in benefits of I'M ■ ti 431 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. ,4' \ ..■^ ** t inestimable value. Mr. Johnston delivered a long and abler speech on the subject. He said that the hindrance to a union which would probably be found the most difficult of removal would result from real or supposed differences of interest in relation to the regulation of commerce and tariff. But if arrangements of this nature necessary for the common good should oppose in some particulars the policy of a por- tion of the union, it might well be supposed that more than a compensation would be found in the advantage of a uniform system embracing all the colonies, and conferring on each the privilege and benefits of unfettered intercommunica- tion, which at present was not, and could not easily be enjoyed. Mr. Howe also spoke at groat length on the subject of the resolution; advocating Colonial representation in the Imperial House of Commons in preference to any other remedy for existing evils. In 1857 the Government of Nova Scotia charged two delegates, Mr. Johnston and Mr. A. G. Archibald, to confer with Mr. Labouchere, the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of union, when they were informed that the decision of the question must rest mainly with the colonies themselves immediately interested, the delegates being given at the same time to understand that, in the event of harmonious action, no obstacle to the consummation of a union would be thrown in the way by the Imperial Gov- ernment. In 1858 Mr. Gait became a member of the Canadian Ad- ministration, and urged that the question should be taken up in earnest. It was consequently intimated in the speech which closed the Session, that during the recess the Home Government would he formally approached on the subject. Messrs. Cartier, Gait and Rose were accordingly deputed to confer with the Impci-ial Government, and requested authori- ty for a meeting of delegates from each of the colonies to m. THE QUESTION OP UNION. 43ft deliberate upon the subject. Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, who was then Secretary, replied, that whilst the Govern- ment would be glad to authorize such a conference, it was necessary that a desire to that eflfoct should bo expressed by all the colonics interested to hold it. Mr. P. S. Hamilton, subsequently Commissioner of Mines, had published two well written pamphlets on the union of the colonies, and also, in 1860, addressed a letter to the Duke oi Newcastle on the same subject. Dr. Tupper also lectured on the topic to largo audiences in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and towards the close of the Session of 1861 Mr. Howe, then leader of the Government, moved the fol- lowing resolution which was unanimously adopted by the Assembly — " The subject of a union of the North American Provinces, or of the Maritime Provinces, having been fi'om time to time discussed in all the colonies ; and while many advantages may be secured by such a union cither of all the Provinces or a portion of them, many and serious obstacles are presented, which can only be overcome by mutual con- sultation of the leading men of the colonies, and by free communication with the Imperial Government, it is there- fore resolved that His Excellency the Lieutenant Ggs\ vnor be respectfully requested to put himself in communication with the Colonial Secretary, and the Governor General, and the Lieutenant Governors of the North American Colonies, in order to ascertain the policy of Her Majesty's Govern- ment, and the opinions of the other colonies, with a view to the enlightened consideration of a question involving the highest interests, and upon which the public mind of all the colonies ought to be at rest. In transmitting this reso- lution to the Colonial Office Lord Mulgrave remarked,'that as an abstract question the union of the North American Provinces had long received the support of many persons of weight and ability, but as far as he was aware, no practi- cal mode of carrying out the proposed union had ever been i .i:y 436 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. X f :}| proposed. The question had assumed various shapes and proportions, some advocating a Federal union of the whole of British North America; some a Legislative union of the Lower Provinces. With all this diversity of opinion as to the character which the union should assume, the feeling in favor of a union of some sort was decidedly on the increase in the Province. Under these circumstances his Govei-n- ment was of opinion that a meeting of the leading men of the different Provinces should take place, in the hope that, after full deliberation and discussion, some practical scheme might be devised to which public attention might be direct- ed in the future consideration of the subject. In reply to the despatch in which these sentiments were expressed, the Duke of Newcastle, then Colonial Secretary, said that no one could be insensible to the importance of the two measures alluded to, and he was far from considering that they did not form a very proper subject for calm de- liberation. They were, however, of a nature that rendered it necessary, if either was proposed for adoption, they shoxild emanate, in the first instance, from the Provinces, and should be concurred in by all of them wliicli it w~>nld aflfect. He could soe no objection to any consultation on the subject amongst the leading members of the Governments con- cerned; but whatever the results of such consultation might be, the most satisfactory mode of testing- the opinion of the people of British North America, would probably be by means of resolution or address proposed in the Legislature of each Province by its own Government. The sanction of the Imperial Government to a general conference of leading men connected with the Provinces having been thus obtained, Mr. Howe addressed a circular to the Provincial Secretaries of Canada, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, in August, 1862, in which, after explaining the action of the Government and Legislature of Nova Scotia with respect to the subject, he said he had been 1 THE QUESTION OF UNION. 437 charged to asoortain •whether the respective Governments addressed wore prepared to appoint dclogater5, who would meet in some central place about the middle of September. This circular led to no practical result; but in 1864 the Oovernment of Nova Scotia .ngain took action in the mat- ter, and Dr. Tupper moved and carried in the Assembly, in that year a resolution — to which rofei'onco was made at the opening of this chapter — to the effect that an addi'oss shoixld bo presented to His Excellency the Administrator of the Government, requesting him to appoint delegates — not to exceed five — to confer with delegates who might be ap- jwinted by the Governments of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, for the purpose of considering the subject of the union of the three Provinces, under one Government and Legislature ; such union to take eflect when confirmed by the Legislative enactments of the various Provinces inter- ested, and approved by Her Majesty the Queen, The motion was seconded by Mr. Adams G. Archibald. The Provincial Secretary, Dr. Tupper, had recently visited Canada, and felt convinced that the rivalry and contention existing between the Anglo-Saxon and French races there, as well as tho suspicion with which both regarded the Mari- time Provinces, rendered union of all the Provinces, in the meantime, hopeless. While he held that the union of the Maritime Provinces and Canada under one Government would be desirable, if it were practicable, he believed that the difiiculties at present in the way to union were beyond liuman agency to remove. He said, however, that circum- stances — which seemed to loom in the distance— might at no remote period render a union not only practicable, but absolutely necessary. Eesolutions of similar import to those submitted to the Assembly of Nova Scotia, wore submitted respectively to the Legislatures of New Brunswick and Prince Ed^vard Island, and adopted. Delegateo wore accordingly appointed 438 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. fill i ' 1 I irfrfH I :■;; by each of the Provinces, and a Conference appointed to bo hold in Charlottotown, where the whole of the delegates met on the first of September. In the meantime a change had taken place in the tactics of contending political parties in Canada. In the Parlia- mentary session of 1863, the two great parties in the Canadian Parliament were pretty equally balanced. In that year a dissolution of the House took place, and when the new House assembled in the following year, it was found that their relative strength had not undergone any material change; and the Government, finding it impossible to con- duct the business of the country with any degree of efficiency, resigned ; and in March, 1864, a new Administra- tion under Sir E. P. Tache was formed. The new Govern- ment experienced the same difficulties in the conduct of business as their predecessors, and the leading men of both parties became convinced that a reconstruction was ab- solutely necessary to prevent a dead lock. John A. MacDonald, George Brown, and other loaders of the two political sections met, and agreed on a basis of re- construction, resolving, at the same time, with the concur- rence of their respective supporters, to unite in securing, if possible, a confederation of all the British North American Provinces. The Lieutenant-Governors of the Maritime Provinces having received a despatch from the Govornoi'- General asking whether the Conference at Charlottotown would be willing to re oive a deputation from the Canadian Government, in order to give it an opportunity of ex- jiressing its sentiments regarding the proposed union, the respective Governments addressed agreed to the proposal. A deputation accordingly proceeded to Charlottotown, con- sisting of John A. MacDonald, George Brown, George E. Cartier, Alex. T. Gait, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Hector L. Langevin, Wm. McDougall, and Alexander Campbell. The Convention having heard by telegram of the departure ot THE QUESTION OP UNION. 439 tho Canadian deputation, resolved to wait its arrival, and to hear its proposals before proceeding to the business for which thoy -wore to meet. The deputation arrived, and after having been introduced, Messrs. MacDonald, Brown, Gait and Cartier addressed the Convention at groat length on the advantages ihat would, in their opinion, result from a more comprehensive union than that which tho delegates of the Maritime Provinces were assembled to consider. Having heard the statements of tho deputntion, which had occupied tho entire time of tho Convention for two consecutive days, it was deemed expedient that the deliberations should be suspended, in order that a decision should be taken with respect to the more comprehensive union which had been proposed. It was determined to meet again at Quebec, and with the view of giving effect to that resolution, the Governor General of Canada invited representatives from tho Governments of the various Provinces, to meet there in October. Before leaving Prince Edward Island tho hospitalises of tho Island were, under the direction of a committee comi^osed of the members of the Executive Council, extended to the Convention and their friends — whose capacity for social enjoyment seemed in no degree diminished by the onerous responsibilities and cares of office. Tho delegates left Charlottetown, in the month of September, in the Victoria, a steamship belonging to the Canadian Government, for Halifax, where tbey arrived on the following day, and where a sumptuous banquet was held. Dr. T upper being Chairman, and W. A. Henry, Vice-Chair- man. The banquet was attended by the Lieutenant Gover- nor Sir Eichard Graves MacDonnell, Sir James Ilojie, Vice- Admiral, and a large number of leading citizens. Tho speech of the evening was ono by George Brown, President of tho Executive Council of Canada, in which the question of union was discussed with great clearness and force. 440 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. I'M '-, !^ Loaving llnlifax the morning after the banquet the dele- gates proceeded to Frederictou whore an informal conference was liold. The delegates wore entertained in St John, at a dinner, given by the New Brunswick rojn'esentativos, the Cliair being o«;cupied by Colonel John Hamilton Gray, the Vice-Chair by Charles Waters, Solicitor-General of the Province. The Convention met at Quebec, on the tenth of October, 1864, in the Parliament House of old Canada. Sir ]']tienne P. Tacho, Pi-enner of Canada, was unanimously chosen President, and Major Hewitt Bernard, Private and Confi- dentinl Secrernry. After duo eonsiuoration-it was resolved that the proceed- ings shc;;M be conducted with closed doors. It was contended that if newspaper reporters were admitted, the same freedom as to expression of opinion could not be used, and that delegates whoso sentiments might undergo a change in tho course of debate might lay themselves oj)en to the charge of inconsistency, if the views to which they, in the first instance, had given expression were published. It was also resolved that votes should bo taken by Provinces, and not by members. On the second day, John A. MacDonald submitted a series of resolutions, which wcro adopted bj' the delegates of tho various provinces. It was resolved that the future prosperity of British North America ■would be best promoted by a Federal Union under the crown of Great Bri- tain, provided such union could be effected on principles just to the several Provinces. In the federation of the British Nortl American Provinces it was considered that a general Government, as well as local Government for each of the Provinces, were best adapted for seciring successful legisla- tion. It was proposed that the executive authoritj should be vested in the British Sovereign, and administered in conformity with the British constitution by the fJovereign personally, or by a representative duly authorized — the Sovereign, or the representative of the Soversign being commander in chief of the land and naval militia forces— that there should THE QUESTION OF UNION. 441 ho clolc- ifcrenco hn, at a \-08, the ray, tho of tho October, • Etienne ■f chosen nd Confi- procood- It was ittod, the t bo used, I a change jn to the )y, in the I. :aken by mitted a legates of th America f Great Bri- the several Proviucea it rernment for isful legisla- i-ested in the the British itative duly ersigQ being there should bo a general legialatiirc for the federated Provinces, composed of a Legisla- tive Council and a House ofC.inimons. The federated Provinces were to consist of five ai visions— Upper (anada, Lower Canada, Nova Scotia New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island— each division having an equal roi)resontation in the Legislative Council. Upper Canada was to bo repre- sented In tho Legislative Coincil by twenty-four members, Lower Canada by twenty-four members, and tho three Maritime Provinces by twenty-four members, of which Nova Scotia should have ten. New Brunswick ten, and Prince Edward Island four mcml)ers— the colony of Newfoundland being entitled to enter the proposed union with a representation in tiie Legisla- tive Council of four members. The members of tho Logishitivo Council wore to hold office for life — the seat of any councillor failing to attend for two successive sessions of Parliament becoming vacant. Tho basis of representation of tho Provinces in tho House of Commons Avas to rest on population, as determined by tho official census every ten years — the number of membeii-i consisting at first of one hundred and sixty-four, distributed as follows : Upper Canada eighty two, Lower Canada sixty- fivo, Nova Scotia nineteen, Now Bruuftwick fifteen, Newfoundland eight, and Prince Edward Island five. Such were some of the leading principles embodied in the resolutions submitted by John A. MacDonald, and adojited by the Convention. Tho Convention closed its sittings at Quebec on the twenty-eighth of October, and during its stay in the city was treated with the utmost hospitalily. Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto also subsequently extended \o it their hospi- talities. On tho return of tho delegates to Halifax, a public meeting was called by tho Mayor, in accordance with a requisition from a number of citizens, in order to give tho delegates an opportunity of presenting an exposition of tho proceedings of tho Convention at Quebec, when Dr. Tupper, Jonathan McCuilly and A. G. Archibald made elaborate speeches, which were fully reported in tho newspapers. A 44? HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. l^- large and influential meeting was also held in opposition to the scheme propounded at Quebec, at which the question was discussed with much ability by Wm. J. Stairs, Alfred G. Jones, William Annand, W. Miller, and P. Power. It is only fair to state that some of the financial arguments of those gentlemen wore unanswerable, and led in no small degree to subsequent improvements in the scheme, effected through the more immediate instrumentality of Mr. Howe and Ml'. McLelan. The Governor-General, Loi'd Monck, lo^t no time in transmitting the resolutions adopted at Quebec to the Imperial Government, which were hailed with great satisfac- tion, both by the Goveimment and Press of Great Britain. On the resolutions being considered by the Government, Mr, Cardwell, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, ad- dressed a despatch on the third of December, 18G4, to the Governor-General, in which he said that Her Majesty's Gov- ernment had given to the resolutions of the Convention their most deliberate consideration. They had regarded them as a whole, and as having been designed by those who 'lad framed tliem to establish as complete and perfect a union of the whole Provinces into one Government as the circumstances of the case, and a due consideration of existing interests would admit. They accepted them, therefore, as being, in the deliberate judgment of those best qualified to decide upon tho subject, the best framework of a measure to bo passed by tho Imperial Parliament for attaining thai, most desirable result. There were tv,ro points of importance which appeared to the Government to requii'O revision. The first of these was the provision contained in the forty-fourth resolution ; with respect to the exercise of tho prerogative of pardon. It appeared to Her Majesty's Government that this duty be- longed to the representative of the Sovereign, and could not, with propriety, he devolved upon the Lieutenant-Governors, / CONSTITUTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 443 ition to question , Alfred V. It is iients of lO small effected :. Howe time in to the satisfac- Britain. crnment, miea, ad- 4, to the ty's Gov- tion their I them as xd framed )n of the stances of sts would [^, in the ido upon )0 passed desix'ablo jcared to ,hese was on ; with irdon. It duty be- eould not, overnore, who would, under the present scheme, be appointed, not directly by the Crown, but by the central government of the United Provinces. The second point which the British Government desired should be considered was the constitution of the Legislative Council. They appreciated the considerations which had influenced the conference in determining the mode in which, that body should be composed. But it appeared to them to require further consideration whether, if the members were appointed for life, and their number were fixed, there would be any sufficient means of restoring harmony between the Legislative Council and the popular Assembly, if it ever should unfortunately happen that a decided difference of opinion should arise betAveen them. The contingency anticipated in the second objection was not provided for in the Union Act, as under a distinct pro- vision Senators hold their places for life. It is well known that not a few of the past appointments made under sxiccessive Administrators were not grounded on the ability displayed in the consideration of public questions by the persons appointed, but on considerations alien to the effective discharge of duties which require rare ability in their fulfilment, so that no matter how incompetent, indolent or unprogrcssive a Senator may be, he continues in oflice for life, occupying, it may be, a jilace for which nature never intended him, and proving himself a legislative cxcresence without either ornament or use. The Canadian Legislature met in February, 1865, when the report of the Convention was discussed in both branches of the Legislature, and a resolution submitted to them, re- spectively, to the effect that an address should be presented to Her Majesty, praying that she might bo pleased to cause a measure to be submitted to the Imperial Parliament for the purpose of uniting the colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island 444 niSTORY 01 NOVA SCOTIA. .it '^ W'i ii; il li . I ; in one Government, with p] ovisions based on the I'esolutions passed at Quebec. Aftfr a protracted disciission the resolution was passed by largo majorities. The scheme did not meet with the same degree of favor in New Brunswick, for an election having taken place before the question was discussed in the House, a large majority was returned opposed to confederation. The opposition of the people of New Brunswick was regarded as a serious obstacle to the consummation of union, and the prominent ])romoter3 of it in Nova Scotia deemed it prudent, in consequence, to delay the legislative considera- tion of the question. But Dr. Tuppor jiroposed in the Assembly in 18G5, a resolution to the effect that under existing cir- cumstances an immediate union of the British American Colonies having become impracticable, and a legislative union of the Maritime Provinces being desirable, wheUicr the larger union was accomplished or not, that negotiations for the union of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island should bo renewed, in accordance with the resolution passed at the last session of the Legislature. The report of his speech on the occasion occupied nine closely printed newspaper columns. A long discussion en- sued in which the loading opposition s,)eake'.s were Mr. Annand, Mr. Miller and Mr. McLelan — the latter gentleman entering minutely into the financial aspect of the question. The resolution was adopted with a slight modification, with- out any division. Tlie Government of New Brunswick, which had been formed for the purpose of opposing confederation, having, by one of those wonderful processes of political alchemy, of which the modern history of these Provinces presents not a few remarkable instances, become warm advocates of union committed themselves to the policy of union in the speech with which the Legislature was opened in the year 186G, and the Legislative Council of the Province passing a CONFEDERATION OF THE PROVINCES. 445 resolution approving of confederation — the Government of Nova Scotia at once appreciated the importance of the crisis as tending to the consummation of their views, and accord- ingly, Dr. Tapper, the leadtt- of the Government, on the tenth of April, moved in the Assembly, the following resolu- tion : Whereas, in the opinion of this House, it^is desirable that a confederation of the British Nm-th American Provinces should take place — resolved therefore, that His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor bo authorized to appoint delegates to arrange with the Imperial Government a scheme of union which will effectually ensure just provision for the rights and interests of this Province, and of the Provinces co- operating, to have an equal voice in such delegation — Upper and Lower Canada being for this purpose viewed as separate Provinces. This resolution, if adopted, would commit the House to immediate action for the consummation of confederation. The importance of the crisis was duly estimated by the members of the House, and the discussion which ensued was long and animated. On the third of April Mr. Miller, the member for Rich- mond, who had previously been one of the most resolute opponents of the Quebec scheme of union, on rising to ask the Govei-nment the question if it would be willing to meet the friends of union, who could not concur in the Que- bec scheme, on common ground, where all favorable to union could unite, intimated that he would be satisticd with the arbitrament of the Imperial Government, properly advised by delegates from all the Provinces. This was the first break in the apparentlj' comjiact phalanx by which confed- eration iu the form presented was resisted. The young member for Ilichmond wielded considerable influence in the House, and the Government were not slow to ajipreciate the present value of so important an accession. The Provincial Secretary immediately expressed the gratification with DD 446 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. hi ft \l ' I»r 5 n U 1(1, ' whicli he had listened to the dcclai-ation of the member for Eichniond; whilst Mr. Aimand strongly condemned his con- duct, charging him before the House as " bartering and selling the rights and liberties of the people." After a week's discussion the resolution proposed by the Provincial Secretary was carried on the eighteenth of April by thirty-one to nineteen votes — a similar one having been passed in the Legislative Council by thirty to five votes. In order to prevent the consiimmation of the union to which the Legislature had become thus committed, Mr. Howe, Mr. Annand and Mr. Hugh McDonald wore sent as delegates to London by the party opposed to the contem- plated union, where Mr. Howe, in addition to his other labors for the accomplishment of their mission, wi'oto a pamphlet entitled "Confederation considered in relation to the interests of the Empire." The pami^hlct was extensively circulated, and the sentiments which it embodied were re- garded with considerable favor by a portion of the influential press of Britain. Dr. Tapper, who in conjunction with J. W. Eitchie, W. A. Henry, Jonathan McCully and A. G-. Archibald, had also gone to London, lost no tlire in pre- paring a reply which, for the cleaimoss and solidity of its matter, as avoU as for its unimj^assioned tone, was admirabh* adapted for the minds to which it was specially addressed. Mr. Howe had the misfortune to be the advocate now of principles which were in diametrical opposition to his pre- viously published opinions, and it is no exaggeration to say that the elaborate structure which he had now reared was coolly and systematically demolished from base to cupola by his oi">poncnt. The effect was what might have been anti- cipated — Mr. Howe was regarded as really a champion for union, and his pamphlet treated as having no moral weight. To the pamphlet of Dr. Tuppcr Mr. Annand wrote a very able reply in the form of a letter to the Earl of Carnarvon. 3IR, annand's pamphlet. 447 cr for lis 0011- g and by the f April iir been tos. lion to ;cd, Mr. sent as contem- 9 other wrote a ation to cnsively were re- iflnential with J. d A. Ct. in pre- ty of its mirably dressed. now of his pre- on to say ared was upola by een anti- ipion for 10 moral ite a very arnarvon. His defence of Mr. Ilowe was as adroit and skilful as in the circumstances it conld be, but Dr. Tupper had so effectively used the argumenium ad homincm in dealing with Mr. IIowo that no defence could repair the temporary damage done to the reputation for political consistency of the anti-confederate champion. But if Mr. Annand failed in successfully de- fending his frientl, he presented an array of facts and ai'gu- ments in supporting the right of the people to be consulted at the polls before the Provincial constitution could be changed, which were difficult, if not impossible, satisfactorily to answer. On the one hand it was contended that almost all the lead- ing politicians of the Province had at one time or another expressed themselves favorable to a union of the Pro- vinces, that Parliament was omnipotent, and that 1 ho union between England and Scotland, and Great Brit.iin and Ire- land having been consummated by Parliament without an appeal to the people, there could be no well grounded objec- tion to the union of the British American Provinces beiny the inHtruc- tioiiH of tlie (iovcrnniont to hmd inatiy fif'tho paHso,i/rorH on the i.sland, and to HO|)arato tlio.se atlacdced from Iho rest. Nobly and couragoounly did Docitorw Slaytcir, (lOHnip, (jitirvio and Frank (lur.lc devote thcmHolvo.s to the arduous duty they had undertakcsn. f)n the morning of the oloventh they conveyed the dead b(;iiies to Thrum Cap, and interi'ed them thenihelves, rn no assistance eoidd be obtained. Dr. Slaytei' in his report spoke in terms of admiration of the cheerful- ness and courage with whieh two priests who w^ro passengers attenderote(!tion against disease. J)r. Slaytcr, who waM asliore and had felt unwell, wont off , to the shij), and was there seized with unmistukablo symp- toms of cholera. He exp(M'ienced much p. in at first, never rallicil, was perfectly sensible, but soon his speech becnmo unintelligible, and he expired in the presence of Dr. (jossipj and one of tho medical ofliccrs of the " Kngland," on the morning of tho soventconth — a mai-tyr to profossiomd duty. l)r. Tapper, in proposing to the Jiegislaturo to vote fivo liundrod pounds to the widow nC Dr. Hlayter, paid tho deceaHod a well merited tribute of respect, in whi(;h tho House as well as the country thoroughly sympathized. Dr. J. B. Garvie and his brother have since died, cut down lioforo they hvul scarcely attained to the bloom of manhood, but thoir naru > will bo long honorably romombored in con. vl . U f f i (Ml 458 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. noction Avith professional Horvico.s so chivalrously tcndorccl, and so zotilously porformod. The month of Seplomhcr, 1807, found the country in Ihc Imstlo and fermentation of a general election. The scheme of union consummated without an appeal to the people, Avaa extremely unpopular, and the leading iioliticians opposed to it, had, by holding meetings in every county, and through the nows]):i])crs, whicli advocated their views, made the current of opposition so stiong that little doubt existed as to the genci'al result of the election ; but that the anti- confederates should cai'ry, as they actually did — tliirt}--six of the thirty-eight seats in the Local House, and eighteen of the nineteen in the House of (iommons was not expected l)y the advocates of union. Dr Tupjier representing Cum- Ijcrland county, was the only unionist returned to the House of Commons, and Mr. Blanchard, for Inverness, and 3rr. i'ineo, for Cumberland, the only ones returned to the Local Assembly. On the result of the election becoming kno"\vn, ^Fr. Blanchard, Mr. Hill and their colleagues in the administra- tion tendered their resignations, when a now government was formed, which consisted of the following gentlemen : Wm. Annand, Provincial Treasurer, W. B. Vail, Provincial (Secretary, M. J. Wilkins,Attorney (ironoral, RobtKobertson, Commissioner of Mines, J. C. Troop, TJ. A. McHetfy, E. P. Flynn, J. Ferguson, and James Cochrane. On the thirteenth of January, 1868, tho nov^^ House met. Mr. Marshall, tho member for Guysboro, was apjioin'od speaker. On tho fifth of February, Mr. M. I. Wilkins, AUornfy General, moved a series of rosolutions in the House, to the cffec. that the authority with ■whicii tlie Assembly had invested ilie delegates who assisted in prociiiing the Act for the union of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New liruxswick did not warrant them in arranging a Federal union without including ic^ Buch con- federation Ahe colonies of Newfoundland and Prince Edward Inland— that no fundamental cliu' r^e of the constitution of the Province could be cou- 'mf MR. M. I. WILKtNS RKSOLIITIONS. 459 stitutionally cfFectcd otherwise than hy a statute of tlie Legislature, sanc- tioned by the people— that no such statute of the Provincial Logislaturo, confiniiing or ratifying the IJritisli North America Act, having been passed, 01- the aame authorized at llic polls, the preamble reciting that the Province expressed a desire to be confederated with Caii.tila and New Brunswick was untrue, and when tlio Queen and the Imperial Legislature were led to believe that the Province had expressed such a desire, a fraud nnil im- ])osition were practised upon them — tliat liic Executive Council and Le- gislature in defiance of [lelilions signi^d by many tiiousands of tiie electors of the Province persistently and perseveringly prevented an apjieal to tlio people — that nt the recent election the vlio were tli'sn f(jr the first time enabled to express tlieir will m to a subject of the most vital impor- tance to their happiness, and the result liad proved that the Province did not desire to be annexed to Canoda, and repudiated the eiiforced provisions of iliC North America Act — that wi(k'Sprcad irritation and discon tent were created, and tliat tiie i)eoi)lc, fidly conscious of tlicir rights as British sub- jects, set an inestimable value on their free institutions, and would not willingly consent to the invasion of those rights, or to be sulijected to the dominion of any o'her power tnan that of tlieir lawful and beloved Queen — that an liumblo address Ijg presented to tlic Queen embodying the sub- stance of tlie foregoing resolutions, informing ITcr Majesty that her loyal j)eople of Nova Scotia do not desire to be in any manner confederated with Canada, and jiraying Her Iili.jesty to revolte her proclamation, and to cause the British North America Act to be reyiealed, as far as it re- garded the Province of Nova Scotia. Tlio resolutions proposed by the Attorney General were seconded by Mr. Trooj). The deltfilo lasted for twelve days — if debate it can be called, where the speaking Avas almost all on one side, Willi the exception of a short spcecdi by Mr. Penoo, in which ho staled tlijit whilst he dcomod the lato Government hasty in pressing the matter of Confedera- tion without an appeal (o the country, yet ho considered it his duty to snpjiort Ihc amendments of the member for Inverness, the whole burden of i-eply devolved oii (he latter gentleman, — a duty wluch he perlbrmed with ability and good temper. The resolutions were of course carried — ^h\ Blanchard and Mr. :^ineo dissenting. Au addrcsa to Uor Majesty bused on tlio resolutions pro- •'Vt; 460 niSTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. \l\- posed by the Attorney General and adopted by the House was prepared and forwarded to Viscount Monck for trans- mission to the Queen ; and the following gentlemen wore appointed as delegates by tlio Executive Council to visit England in order to explain and support i!ie repi'osenta- tions against Confederation — Joseph Howe, Wm. Annand, Jared C. Troop, and W. II. Smith. Dr. Tapper proceeded to London in order to vindicate the previous proceedings oi the House of Asseni^tly in regard to Confederation, and if possible to frustrate the object of the deputation. That the deputation worked with unflagging zeal, and displayed both tact and ability in its efforts to accomplish its purpose, must be conceded, while it must bo admitted that it encnuntered a clover diplomatist in Dr. Tapper. On the fourth of June, 1868, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos addressed a desjiatch to Lord Monck, inform ing him that he had received the address of the House of Assembly to the Qaeen, praying that the Act of the Impe- rial Parliament affecting the union should be repealed so far as it concorned the Province of Nova Scotia, and that ho had an interview with the delegates. He said the address was laid before Her Mrjesfy, and that the subject had engaged the earnest consideration of tho Government. He remarked that the leading complain is appeared to be reduced to two- -first that Confederation had been accomplished without properly consulting the Province, andsecondly, that the results might be prejudicial to some of its special interests. With respoct to the complaint that no appeal was made to the people, he observed that this had not been thought necessary in parallel cases — thiit there was nrne in uniting the two Canadas ia 1839, although much difference of opinion existed, and in Upper tinada much close conflict in the debates — that an appeal ,to the country was proposed in the Assembly of Upper Canada at that time, and rejected by a large majority — that the same proposal was made in the late debate on Confederation in Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but in aU of them was thrown out by a largo majority. Again it had been objected that the union was not made subject to legislative ratificatioa by the several Legislatures. But uo such course bad m DESPATCU FROM THE COLONIAL SKCUETARY. 461 louso trans- WCl'C ) visit ;8cnta- tinand, coedod ngs oi and if hat tlio od both )ury,ose, that it iingham , inform House of ho Impc- pcalod so (1 that ho the subject remarked -first that Iswlling the some of its [l -was made lecessary in lanadas in Ler C ivnada [ountrv was 'jected by a |e debate oa )ut in all of subject to course had \jeeii followed in the numerous modifications of Colonial constitutions, and in the separations and unions of colonies, which had been ellccted by Inii)erial legislation. It did so hai)iien, however, that nfter the present measure had been introduced into the Imiwrial Parliament, end its terms made public, it was cordially approved by both Houses of the Legislature, in their addresses to the Governor at the opening of the session iu 1867 ; and the same took place in New Brunswick, when the session opened, after the Imperial measure had become law. The Provincial Governments and Legislatures, in the present case, after the terms had been substantially settled, looked to the Imperial Parliament to accomplish their union. This had been done exactly in the manner re- vhich we have givjn the substance. They wished it to be dis- tinctly understood that all they asked for was the restoration of their con- atitutlonal rights. They had ever been faithful subjects of the British 462 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 11, !l !^ *M-' m Throne, and ardently desired to remain so, and would not attempt to with- draw their allegiance till they found that the Queen intended permanently to deprive them of her protection. . The people of Xova Scotia liad maintained friendly intercourse with the people of the United States of America, and their daily expanding commer- cial dealings with them made any interruption of peaceful relations im- probable, if not impossible. They admired that great and intelligent nation, but their habits, their education and their feelings had always been favorable to monarchical, and adverse to democratic institutions. They were, therefore, in no manner desirous of changing their political constitu- tion, and would not willingly allow themselves to be brought into subjec- tion to Canada or any other country. Tliey would have no confederation or union with any other colonies except on terms of the most exact equality, and there was no change in their political relations that they would not prefer to the detestable Confederation that had been attempted to be forced upon them. They shoiild proceed witli the leg r.' a. ion and other business of the Province, protesting against the Confedeiation, boldly and distinctly assert- ing their full purpose and resolution to avail themselves of every opi)ortuu- ity of extricating themselves from the trammels of Canada; and if they failed, after exhausting all constitutional mean? at their command, they would leave their future destiny in the hands of Ilim who judges the people righteously, and governs the nations upon earth. The case of iN'ova Scotia was brought undei- tlio notice of the House of Commons on the sixteenth of June, by John Bright, with his usual abilit}', when he moved for a commis- sion to inquire into the causes of discontent in N'ova Scotia. On ii. division there wore eighty.seven for the motion, and one hundred and eighty-three against it. The delegates, before leaving England, prepared an able protest, which was published. In alliuiing to the treatment ' which Nova Scotia had received from the House of Lords, they said : '•' That at no time while the Confederation Bill was under discussion were there fifty Peers in their seats, and on the only occasion when an appear- ance of controversy was vainly attempted to be provoked by one or two noble Lords who kindly volunteered some sort of remonstrance, the nunv- bers gradually thinned, till there were but ten members present when the bill finally passed. A good many historic delusions were dissipated on that PROTEST OF THE BELEOATES, 463 to with- mncntly with the comuier- tioiis ira- itclligeiit mya been IS. They constitu- ,to subjec- federaliou lost exact tliat tlh'V atlcmptod ICS3 of the ctlyasscrt- f opiiortiiu- and if they mand, they ) judges the I notice of by John coniniis- a Scotia. n,and. one xl an able roatnient of Lords, cussion were n au appear- )y one or two nee, the mini • sent when the pated on that day. Franklin standing before tlie Privy Council, and enduring the sar- castic insults of Weddei'burn, did not, it was fair to presume, retire more grieved and indignant tlian did the gentlemen who represented the peojde of Nova Scotia on that occasion. They did not, bowever, follow Frank- lin's example. They were reluctant to tiu'ow overboard the traditions of their fathers. The sentiment ol' loyalty, cherished from childhood, was not easily stifled. They returned to their homes and counselled peace and loyalty. This advice was taken. With the evidence of discontent which the elections had furnished, they returned to Engl md to ask for the repeal of so much of the Impoiial Statute as related to Nova Scotia. They obeyed their instructions, but yielded to the opinion of their friends, who thought that Parliament might fairly require, as a condition precedent to repeal, an independent investigation into the real state of the facts and of the feeling in the Provinces. Tlie House of Commons had thought it proper to reject Mr. liright's resolution. Tlie people of Nova Scotia were hardly prepared to believe that the Imperial Government and Parliament would refuse redress for a great wrong, even though done inadvertently and with the best intentions. Tiiey certainly could not have imagined that in a case involving the honor of tlie Empire, the good name of Parliament and all the rights and revenues of an ancient and noble Province, they would be denied the most obvious form of independent investigation." " The delegates could not leave England without expressing theii obliga- tions to the iudependent press of the three kingdoms for the generous manner in which its conductors had ventilated the question. Some of the gentlemen had mastered it completely, and had discussed it with great ivbility, and many others, regardless of parly trammels and associations, had shewn a sturdy English love for fair play, which the people of Nova Scotia would never forget." "But what of the future ?" concluded the delegates. "The question i3 ' natural, but we have no answer to give. With the publication of this paper our responsibilities end. We have proposal our remedy — it has been rejected. His Grace the Colonial Secretary and Lord Monck have assumed the task of making things pleasant and harmonious. They will have time to try their experiments before the Legislature of Nova Scotia meets in August." " In the interim, we presume, the future of our country will be anxiously considered by our people. May the Almighty God guide theml Having discharged om- duty to the Empire, we go home to share ihe perils of our native land, in whose service we consider it an honor to labor, whose for- tunes in this the darkest hour of her history, it would be cowardice to desert." 464 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ill M The dclegatos and Dr. Tiippor roturnod in July, 18G8, to Nova Scot.'a, having miicli sweot intorcourso on board tlio steamer, sensibl}' striving to dispel the gloom of " the dark- est hour" by having a rubber of whist together. In August a Provincial Convention was held, at which tlic delegates reported their course of procedure in London in oi'der to obtain a repeal of the Confederuticm Act, so far as Nova Scotia Avas concerned. Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir George Cartier and the Honorable Peter Mitchell were present at one of the sittings of the Convention — having come to Halifiix for the purpose of inquiring into the griev- .ances of which Nova Scotia complained — but they stated to the Convention that they had no specific proposition in the meantime to submit. Shortly after the return of the delegates from England it was rumored that Mi*. Howe was prepared to give up fur- ther agitation for repeal, and actually to accept oflSce in the Dominion Government. Mr. John Stiles, of Washington, addressed a letter to Mr. Howe on the twenty-second of September, 1868, respectfully inquiring if there was any truth in these rumors, to which Mr. Howe replied on the iifth of October, as follows : " In answer to your letter I may «ay that up to this hour I have accepted nothing and done nothing inconsistent with the general tenor of my life. I am dealing with the difficulties around me with a single eye to the good of my country ; but let me add that treason and fillibustcring expeditions, to tear the Province to jiieces, are not included in my programme." In a letter addressed to the '' Eastern Chronicle" on the twenty-fourth of October, Mr. Howe, in referring to the I'umors as to his accciitanco of the situation, said "when I x-eturned from England twice defeated I wuuld have been justified as Lee was in laying down my arms, and had I done so, and accepted the situa- tion frankly, my honor would have been as untarnished as that of the unsuccessful soldier is at this day. I have not K-,: -^-^ MR. HOWE AND THE ANTI-CONFEDERATES. 465 laid clown my arms nor accepted the situation, but I am still laboring in the interests of my country, and utterly regard- less of my own, to make the best of a bad business, and to recover what I can out of the wreck that has been made of our Provincial organization." Mr. Howe was chairman v.f the Committee of the Convention which had jiassed a few weeks previously the following resolution, in which he con- curred, — " that it is the opinion of this Convention it is necessaiy to nso all further lawful and constitutional moans to extricate the people of Nova Scotia from a Confederation that has been forced upon them without their consent, and against their will." He was thus committed to furtlior ef- forts to secure repeal. It seems evident, however, that he had given up all hope shortly after his i-eturn from England of further agitation re-iulting in any practical benefit to the Province, for he had evidently set his mind on a compromise, by negotiating Avith the Dominion Government for more favorable pecuniary terms. This was being done without the knowledge or concurrence of the party of which, without exaggeration, he may be said to liavo been the head and leader. In his intercourse with the Dominion Government, he was joined by Mr. A. W. McLclan, the representative of Colchester county in the Dominion Parliament — one of the most determined opponents of Confederation. Their deliber- ations resulted in a preliminary arrangement by which the Dominion Government promised to pn^pose to Parliament certain monetaiy concessions to Nova Scotia, which were subsequently secured by statute. The entire record of Mr. Howe's life is opposed to tho' supposition that in this somewhat sudden and unexpected movement he was actuated by sordid motives. But in ac- cepting office so speedily after his return from London, and severing the ties by which he was bound to his supporters, he cannot perhaps be said to have acted wisely, or with a due regard to his previously well earned reputation. When I li: -1! I'lp' ' ' \\.il 4C6 HISTOIIY OF NOVA SCOTIA. IHI r ;. lio lijul arrived ivt tho conclusion that a repeal of the iiiiioii was impossible, ho should only huvo been true to his ante- cedents in boldly saying so in tho Convention, and recom- mending tho strong party, of which ho was tho leader, to join him in opening negotiations for bettor terms; and in tho ovont of his not carrying liis party with him, no charge of infidelity could havo boon brought, with any degree of plausibility, against iiim. But in assuming, with Mr. 3IcLelan, functions which could only with propriety bo dolo- gaLod to them, and liastily accepting oflico at tho hands of tho very men who had brought about what the delegates termed " tho darkest hour in their country's history," and some of whom were parties to tho i)rod action of Mr. McLolan's " solemn hour," in which that gentlemen was apparently overpowered in tho Assembly by his feelings, they not only transgressed tho rules of ordinary courtesy, but laid their motives open to grave suspicion. Just as cer- tainly as Ml*. Howo broke loose from tho restraints of pai'ty, did minor satellites follow in his course, and men, who by pen and speech deplored what they termed tho ruin of their country, and went about among tho jiooplo hj'storically wringing their hands for their country's fate, and indulgirg in no very complimentary epithets towards tho raion who had brought about the catastrophe, were found snugly en- sconsed in place, and complacently receiving, from the very hands of tho alleged wreckers of tho country's " noble con- stitution," tho reward of their own sudden political transfor- mation ! It is surely neither cynical nor unreasonable not to give credit for patriotism whore it is not deserved. The City of Paris of the Inman line sailed from Queens- town, on the fifteenth of August, 1869, with His Eoyal Highness Prince Arthur on board, and was signalled off the harbour of Halifax, on Sunday morning, the twenty-second, having made the trip in six days and seventeen hours. His Koyal Highness was received, on landing, by Sir John Young LOSS OF THE CITY Ol' IjnsTON. 407 )0 itnion \\H anto- l rcc'oni- oiulcr, to ; and in charge logrco of 'ith Mr. y bo dclo- iiaiuls of delegates ji-y, and of Mr. smon was feelings, courtesy, ist as cer- s of party, , who by n of their sterically ndulgirg men who mugly en- the very loble con- transfor- mable not 'ed. n Qucens- lis Eoyal ed oif the ty-socond, )iir8. His »hn Young the Governor-General, and Major-(ioneral Doyle. On ^londay the whole city may be said to have turned out to do honor to tlie Prince. The route of the procession, which comprised the public societies of the city and the volunteer companies, Avas from the Dock yard to Government House. The Prince was entluisiiistically cheered on his route. The school children assembled on the south side of tiio Grand Parade, singing Avilh fine effect, God save the Queen. There was a concert in the Horticultural Gardens, under the auspices of the Early Closing Association, which was attended by nearly five thou- sand persons, and at which His IJoyal Highness was present, being greeted, as he stepped on the platform, by the singing of an authom, composed expressly for the occasion by Mr. John A. Bell. The Prince was also entertained at a ball tendered by the garrison, and at a successful picnic held on the classic ground of his grandfather's lodge, after which he proceeded to St. John, and subsequently to Quebec, having previously visited Prince Edward Island. The year 1870 was marked by a calamity which will long remain memorable in the annals of the Province. We refer to the loss of the steamship City of Boston, of the Inman line. She was an iron screw steamer, built in 18C5, by Tod and McGregor of Glasgow. She had seven water-tight com- partments, with engines of three hundred and sixty nominal, but working up to seventeen hundred and seventy-two actual horsepower. Her gross tonnage was two thousand, six hundred and thirteen, and she was ship-rigged. Like nearly all the trans-atlantic steamers, she carried upon her upper deck a house running the entire length of the ship, and finishing off at the ends in a round poop stem, and large top-gallant fore-castle. The house, which was seven feethigh, and eighteen feetwide, contained the saloons, officer's rooms, fore-cnstle, &c. And upon the top of it was the hurricane or promenade deck. The vessel cost eighty-four thousand pounds, and was valued by her owners at sixty-five thousand pounds. Of this amount iW Hi If: UMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) //A ^^ m. o ,n% A [<:> t/i 1.0 I.I ,50 » ^ Ufi 12.0 2.5 2.2 11:25 i u 1.6 p /i z ^* ^ .-^ ^ ^ ^^\ N> < ^. ^^ >- ;\ iP 46R HISTORY O? NOVA SCOTIA. 3m ■ m- ^ twenty thousand pounds only wore insured. The policies oa the vessel having run out about the time she reached Hali- fax, fresh policies wei'e effected which commenced from tho ti'MC of her departure, and the amount of insurance vras then reduced by the company from thirty thousand to twenty thousand pounds. Tho Cuyo/Boftoii left Liverpool on the outward voyage to Halifax^ Boston and New- York, on the first of January, 1870. She carried a crew ot eighty-six hands, all told, and was in charge of Captain Joseph J, Hal- crow, who had been nine years a master in the company's service. On the outward passage the steamer lost one blade ofher propeller two days before reaching Halifax. She proceeded \?ith the remaining two blades. At Xe.v- York a spare propeller was fitted to the vessel, and she sailed from New York on the twenty-fifth of January. S lie had then on board a general cargo consisting of cotton, oil cake, flour, beef, bacon, lard, hops, tallow, wheat and copper ore, and weighing altogether eight hundred and ninety tons. She had also on board, for her own consumption, nine hundred and thirty seven tons of coal, and arrived in Halifax on the twenty-seventh uf January. She there took on board the mails, and a quantity of cargo, consisting chiefly of the extra luggage of passengers, and packages shipped by tho naval storekeeper, amounting to fifty-seven tons measurement, or about twenty tons weight. The total cargo in the vessel when she left Halifax, which she did at noon on the twenty-eighlh of Janu.uy, amount. 1 to about nine hundred and ten tons — the total weight that the ship had on board on leaving Halifax being, including machinery, cargo, and coal, tw i thousand and eighty-seven tons. The draft of water, on her arn/al at Halifax, as reported in a letter to her owners fiom the Captain, was twenty-one feet seven inches forward, and twentj'-one feet eight inches aft ; ^o that after allowing one inch of depres- sion for tho Halifax cargo, the vessel was six inches higher cut of the water when she left Halifax than when she sailed from New York. The City cf Boston was never heard of after leaving Halifax, but repeated reports of her arrival had reached the city, exciting expectations which unfortunately were not realized. On Wednesday, the sixteenth of March, Mr McDonald, of the Telegraph office, received a telegram from New York intimating that a message had bee i received in the city to the effect that the steamer had arrived at Queenstown at one o'clock, A. M. As several unreliable '.egrams had been previously sent, that gentleman decided aot ■:o make the report public until it was confirmed. About eleven o'clock, Mr. Thomas E. Ktnny, whose brother was a passenger ir. the missing stea- DEATH OF JOSEPH HOWE. 469 licies on eel Ilali- rrom tho nee vas isand to ;o Halifax, ied a crew iph J. Hfll- ce. On the l1 ays before 3. At Xe*v- 3 New York leral cargo low, wheat incty tons, and thirty uf January. , consisting pped by the nt, or about did at noon Ired and ten ilifax being, seven tons, .etter to her )rward, and ih of depreg- of the water )ut repeated tions which th of March, n New York e effect that As several decided aot ven o'clock, issing stea- mer, received a telegraphic message from a friend in Manchester, congratu- lating him on the safe arrival of the vessel at Queenstown. This was confirmed by another telegram from Plaister Cove, C. ji., to Mr. Patrick Power, M. P., whose son and partner were on the steamer. Sir Edward Kenny also received a telegram from Sir John Rose, London, announcing the arrival of the steamer. The news, respecting the truth of which there was now no doubt, created intense pleasurable excitement throughout the city, but was contradicted in course of the day, and again the city was shrouded in gloom, intensified by bitter disappointment. With the City of Boston were lost some of the best men in Halifax— some of them, young men of sterling character, ability and enterprise. The human freight of the Steamer numbered altogether over two hundred souls. * In bringing this sketch of the history of Nova Scotia to- a close, wo must refer to the death of one of her most dis- tinguished son:;, whose useful life is so incorporated with her history that a record of the transactions in which he was the most conspicuous agent, must ever constitute a per- manent feature of tho narrative. We refer to Joseph Howe, who died on tho first of June, 1873, in Government House, which he occupied as the Lieutenant-Governor of his native Province. Mr. Howe was born in 1804, on the North West Arm, near Halifax. His father, Mr. John Howe, was held in high estimation, and was for many years King's Printer, and Postmaster-General of Nova Scotia. On two different occasions when difficulties arose between Great Britain and tho United States, the elder Mr. Howe was sent thither by Government on confidential missions — a striking proof of confidence in his sagacity and judgment. He was a man of sterling integrity and sincere piety, and died in the year 1835, at the advanced age of eighty-three. In boyhood, Joseph was put to the printing business. His first literary effusion was a poem on Melville Island, which stands at tho head of the North West Arm, and whore prison- ers were confined during the last French and American wars. "I m * For List of Halifax rasEcugers, sec Appendix H, 470 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. i.;i . r *: in -*^ As tho production of a mere stripling, it attracted consider- able attention. Young Ifowe continued to write verses, and practice prose compositions,- his tastes being decidedly 'of a literary cast. When only twenty-three years of age, he purchased, in conjunction with Mr. James Spike, the " Weekly Chronicle," to whom he sold his share, towards the end of tho year, and purchased the " Nova Scotian " from Mr. G. E. Young, a paper which had been established by that gentle- man three years previously, and of which Mr. Howe now became sole proprietor and editor. We have gone over the file of the " Nova Scotian " from year to year, and have been amazed at the variety and amount of talent which its youthful editor had succeeded in enlisting in its columns. Public questions were discussed with amplitude, earnest- ness and vigor. Tho principal contributors to the paper evidently ■wrote as if their literary reputation depended upon *hoir productions, which generally appeared in tho form of letters. The columns of the " Acadian Recorder " were equally solid and attractive, whilst in tyjDogi'aphy the older files of these papers are not surpassed by those of any papers flourishing in more recent times. The young editor was determined to succeed in his voca- tion, if constant devotion to duty could accomplish that de- sirable end. He reported with his own hand the proceedings of the Assembly and public meetings, with accuracy and full- ness. The work was thoroughly done — public men having no reason to complain of the manner in which their speeches were reported, and when he undertook the work of conden- sation it was done with rare taste and judgment, the kernel of tho speaker's observations being preserved, and presented in a readable and flowing form. One noble characteristic in Mr. Howe as an editor was, that he never allowed his private feelings or political prin- ciples to interfere with the impartial discharge of his edi- torial duties. His paper was always open to fair discussion, MR. HOWE AS AN EDITOR. 471 and communications were freely admitted, however much opposed to the political sentiments of which it was the ad- vocate. Ho never condescended to make his paper the mere organ of a political faction. If anyone felt aggrieved by anything which he had published, the columns of his paper were always open for reply. Editorial writing was riut +he description of literary work in which Mr. Howe ir )st excelled. His articles were gen- erally long and read pleasantly, but were perhaps somewhat rambling and deficient in condensation and ei^igrammatic point. After the perusal of them one had the feeling that the writer had a great deal more to say, which might have been said in the same space. An editorial ought to be a complete piece of composition so far as it goes. In this element Mr. Howe's productions were usually deficient. But if Mr. Howe was deficieiit i>.\ editorial wi'iting he ex- celled in the composition of despatches, and the framing of resolutions. He was master of a singularly pellucid and masculine style, and had the faculty of presenting his thoughts in so clear a light that there could be no difflculty in apprehending his meaning. He had a fine imagination which was under thorough con- trol. He was seldom grotesque in writing, or extravagant in description or illustration. His taste in composition was refined fi'om his youth, which is accounted for by his read- ing and studying the best English authors. Mr. Howe was an enemy to public abuses, which he attacked with a vigor and courage productive of the best results. He did not fear the face of man, and was never known to sacrifice the country's interests at the shrine of personal aggrandisement. We have already said that his opposition to Confederation for which he had been pre- viously a strenuous adv ocate, and his treatment of the anti-Confederates were entirely out of harmony with his previous life, but his inconsistency in this respect cannot ^1 472 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. i \. f i' \ L t materially diminish the respect in which ho must over be held by his country, which ho served with disinterested zoal and devotion. As a pubb'" man Mr. Howe was pure. Any thought of making his position conducive to the acquirement of wealth never entered his mind. "With ample opportunities for ac- cumulating property he never soiled his hands, and died a comparatively poor man. If any one wishes to ascertair* the degree to Avhich he was beloved by his countrymen, lot him enter into conversation with coimtry people, who were latterly politically opposed to him, and he will find, in com- bination with sadness, proofs of abiding veneration, and deap seated affection. The qualities which inspired such feelings must have been noble. A few weeks before his death Mr. Howe was appointed Lieutenant-Governor cf Nova Scotia — a position Lo which no other living man was equally entitled, and for which he possessed all the necessary qualifications in an eminent de- gree. But his health was shattered, and it appeared too evident to his friends that he could not long occupy the hon- orable post to which he had attained. Desirous of obtuii.ing any reminiscences of his early political associates with which he might be disposed to fui-nish us, we called at Government House on the Monday previous to his death. He received us cordially — his omatiated appearance and blanched countenance plainly showed that the end was not far distant. He seemed delighted in recalling the scenes of form or days in the House of Assembly. His eye was clear, and his intellect bright. On remarking that the reading of some of S. G. W. Archibald's speeches impressed us with the conviction that he wm one of the ablest men the Province had produced. Ho said : " Yes, he was an able man — a man of commanding presence, and had a voice as clear as a boll."^ Of John Young, Agri'^ola, he rema.'ked that he was by no means ready i i debate, but that aiu studying his subject AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. HOWE. 473 he spoko with great i)0\ver. Finding that Mr. Howe was getting excited —for he rose from his seat, with his hand on his breast, and suflforifig from ojipressive breathing, sudden- ly exclaimed, • these were the men !"— we at once retired, regretting that the state of his health did not permit the interview to be prolonged. IJext Sundaj^ Joseph Howe had gone to " the undiscovered country, from whose bourne no traveller returns." IlK-Mj ^'1 8 CIIAPTEE XXir. ll A : 1- ■'■ Province of Nova Scotia — Its po.sition — Extent — General feature" — Soil — Climate — Prevalence of rain — Account of a visit to the fruit show at Somerset — Advantages of Nova Scotia for fanning. XovA Scotia consists of a Peninsula, and the Island of Cape Breton — the peninsular portion of it being about two hundred and fifty miles in length, and its extreme breadth being about one hundred miles. It is connected •with the main land of the American Continent by an isthmus sixteen miles in width, Cape Breton being separate from Nova Scotia proper by the nar- row Strait of Canso. The island ia about one hundred miles in extreme length, and eighty in breadth. A considcruble portion of the superficies ot the Province is occupied by lakes of various sizes of which Lake Rosignolo in Queen's county is said to be the largest. But a very small portion of the country is, strictly speaking, mountainous. Its surface is generally un- dulating, and its aspect pleasing. That portion of the Province which faces the Atlantic to the south ia bold and rugged, with deep indenations, but relieved in summer by spots of fresh vendure, and the variegated colours of the distant forest, while the land that fronts the Bay of Fundy is of com- paratively even surface, forming a striking contrast to the southern coast line of the Peninsula. Few countries have been, in their general geological features, better de- scribed, the greater portion of the work having been done without any pecuniary remuneration whatever. In every house in the Province there ought to be a copy of Dr. Dawson's work which combines scientific accuracy and extensive original research with a pleasing narrative, encumbered with comparatively little technical phraseology. To the labors of Gesner reference has been already made. Honeyman, Brown, Hind and Howe have also contributed not a few valuable papers on the geology of the country. Till a comparatively recent period the tnost erroneous notions were en- tertained in Europe as to the soil and climate of Nova Scotia. In an anonymous description of it^ published in Edinbnrgh in 1787, the soil was re- presented to be so spongy as not to bear the foot of a man, unless congealed by frost. Whether the writer had landed at some boggy part of the coast, and drew a sweeping conclusion based on his limited jxperience as to the general character of the country, or trusted entirely to his fertile imagma- tion in his description, it is impossible to determine. Even on the part of some Nova Scotians there is a tendency to speak of their country as not ACJRirULTfRE IN NOVA SCOTIA. 475 adniited for farming operations, and to point to the west as tiie proper re- gion for agricultural settlement. Hear one whose writings are distintjuish- ed liy sobriety of statement, and wliose o])inion ought to carry weight. Dr. Dawson says : '■ it is scai cely fair to compare our country with those parts of America which present va:jl tracts of forest, and which are yearly receiv- ing swarms cf emigrants, who arc cutting down the woods and exporting a great surplus of grain from the first fertility of the virgin soil. Such countries are now yielding large supplies of produce, but their fertility is being rajudly exhausted, and we have no evidence that when the land be- comes cleared, and the influx of new population ceases they will be even as jiroductive as the average districts of our Province. Xor is it safe to speak in general terms, either of praise or condemnation, of a country so various in the qualities of its soil as our province. We have some land as bad as any can be ; wo have in other districts soils not surpassed by any in the world. We have also extensive tracts o'' soil which require, in order to productiveness, a larger amount of skilful husbandry than they have yet received." Scientific agriculture is carried to as great perfection in Scotland, as in any country in the world ; yet the soil of Scotland, is not naturally more fertile than that of Nova Scotia, and there is a greater cultivable area here, in proiiortion to the extent of country ; and Nova Scotia enjoys the additional advantage of a large tract of marine alluvial soil, produced by the tide wave that sweeps up the Bay of Fundy, and which continues to retain its fertility undiminished for generations. Nor can Nova Scotia complain of its climate. It can be fairly placed in competition with that of Britain, even for agricultural purposes, and so far^as personal comfort is concerned, that of Nova Scotia will be preferred by the majority of persons who have had experience of both climates. The mildness of the winter in Britain is considerably marred by remarkable humidity, which materially diminishes the number of days suitable for out door labor, whilst the advantages of early spring are counter-balanced by the rapidity of growth in Nova Scotia, and the splendour of the pro- tracted autumn. Tlie large quantities of flour which are landed weekly at the wharves ir Halifax, to be afterwards sent to all parts of the Province, showj the extent to which we are deriendent for the staff of life on Canada and the United States. Whilst the greater rain fall in Nova Scotia, renders the successful culture of wheat more precarious than in many parts of the States and Ontario, yet a large proportion, at least, of the wheat which is required for the Province, might be grown on our own soil. In travelling through the country in autumn, when the golden colour of the grain fields renders them peculiarly conspicuous, one who has travelled ir other .'« 'fn I 'I-. ':lf Si: \ ,k^k 476 nisTonv OP nova sootia. regions, is struck with the very limited extent to wliicli cereals are culti- vated in tlie P.'ovince, even in districts wliosc native fertility is equal to that of tlic riclicst soil of anj- other land. Connected with the Dominion Department of Murine and Fisheries there is a Meteorological office, under the able raimagemcnt of Mr. Kingston, whose objects art the collection of i leleorological statistics, and their arrangement in forms suitable for the dijcussioii of various physical ques- tions — the combination of tlie information collected from numerous places, in a series of years, and the deduction therefrom of the climatic character of each district and locality, and the laws of geographical distribution — and the prognostication of weather. The report of the superintendent preseuted in January last is equally interesting and valuable. We have referred to Ontario being better adi.T>ted for the culture of wheat on account of the c^mparalive dryness of its climate. By reference to the tab'.e wh< the 'Vpth and number of days of rain — exclusive of snow — in the several Provinces, for each quarter and year from Septombei, 1859, to August, 18Y2, are shown, it is found that the fall of rain in the summer quarter of 1872 in Ontario was 7.4' inches, in Quebec 10.92, Xow Brunswick 12.09, and Nova Scotia 12.2G— the yearly rainfall from 1871-1872 being in Ontario, 18.34 inches, Quebec, 21. 9G, New Brunswick, 37.32 and Nova Scotia, 39.31. Thus we find that the quantity of rain which falls annually in Nova Scotia is more than double that which falls in Ontario. The number of days in the same year in which rain fell in tlie sspective Provinces — Ontario 77.9 days, Quebec 79, New Brunswick 105, and Nova Scotia 118.1. But the superabundance of moisture in Nova Scotia might bo to a great extent counteracted by a system of thorough drainage. If the climate is deficient as compared with some of the other Provinces for the growth of wheat it is most favorable for green crops, turnips, carrots, mangel-wurzel, wurzel, &c., which in Nova Scotia are cultivated to a very limited extent, though they are as valuable to the farmer as any other crops, and can be brought to as great perfection as in '.ny of the sister Provinces. We had intended to have attempted a description of each of the coun- ties of which the Province consists, but the extent to whicii other subjects have been treated prevents the fulfilment of our purpose. But before dealing with more solid and statistical topics perhaps an account of a Journey taken from Halifax to. one of the fruit shows of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers Association held at Somerset, Kings County, might not be unacceptable as conveying the impressions produced by the scenery of a portion of the Province on a stranger. The narrative is presented without *iny attempt to make it suitable for the gravity oibooL. composition. Although we have seen more summers than it concerns the reader to A TRIP TO THE FRUIT «IOW. 477 know, yet wc are free to confess that we cannot regard the prospect of a pleasure trip without experiencing that degree of agrceal)le excitement uni- formly characteristic of youth. On tlie preceding evening we scan the sky in all directions for the purpose of enabling us to determine with an infallibility equal to that of the celebrated Admiral Fitzroy, the kind of weatlicr that is to prevail on the morrow. On consulting our note-l)ook, wo lind that, however varied and conflicting the data resulting from our anxious and painstaking observations, only ono conclusion has been hitherto arrived at— to wit, that the weather is certain to be of the most propitious character. If it be as Hums says in hla address to that respect- able and ubiquitous personage " Tlie Deil,' — " A weary, windy, watery night. When stars look down with sklentin' light ;'' ■we congratulate all around on the circumstance that the clerk of the weather — a mysteriotis personage, with whom it is the interest of people to be on as good terras as with " Auldllornie" himself— has had the discretion to pour out his watery treasures at so fitting a time, generously reserving sunshine for our special use I If after a beautiful day it threatens rain, no portent proves sufficiently ominous to produce the conviction that to- morrow will not be fine — if the lightning gleams and the thunder roars, it will certainly be a cool bracing day to-morrow ' We valliaatly challenge the reader to cite one Instance in which any weather prophet has predicted, where his own special comfort was concerned, any kind of weather than that which comes under the comprehcLjive description of fine," Being rather of a philosophic turn of mind at the moment, we shall venture to attribute the universal tendency to which we have alluded to the eradi- cable principle of hope, a principle of which no man can thoroughly divest himself without the melancholy isssue — insanity. Wednesday morning, the seventeenth p' October, found us on our way to the railway. The moruing was cloudy, threatening rain, which all travellers dread except in circuin'^tances where long continued drought renders it particularly acci^ptable to the soil ; but the weathtr, on the as- sumption of no change eithe" in increased sunshine or gloom taking place, was, in the circumstances, quite up to our ideal. The passengers on leav- ing Halifax were to travel a districtof country where the charms presented were to be reflected from hill, dale, wood and water. Hence the alterna- tions of sunshine and cloud, incident to the existing state of the atmosphere, were particularly favorable to the production of at once a striking and pleasing effect. Except under the conditions indicated, we do not believe that natural scenery, in cases wlicre extensive range of vision and sublimilj'' of eflfect are obtained, can be viewed to advantage. PF W-' ■f f' ;■ 478 IIISToav OF NOVA SCOTIA. •I f«'! li'i On arriving at tlic iUclmiond station the fit-st thing that strikes ono who has just como from the old country, but who has never seen an American Haiiway car, is ha peculiar construction as coniimrcd with its liritisli brother. In the latter the jjassengers face each otiicr exactly os tiiey do in an ordinary coach, each conipartinent being distinct and separnto from the rest. The privacy thus sccund is not unfrcquently dearly paid for by murderous attacks being made on unofl'i'nding passengers. In point of comfort, and in other respects tlie American system of railway accommoda- tion is decidedly superior to the British. In the train we have a goodly company ; many of the passengers being, liki ourselves, bound for the fruit thow. "NVe Gud ourselves in agiceable and intelligent society. On passing Bedford Basin the country presents a sterile appearance, the surface being generally uneven and rocky. A series of small lakes relieve the monotony of the scene, and in conjunction with the spruce, fir, and tlyrtxx? birch and maple .hat abound in the district, constitute not a few sjilendid pictures. At this season of the year the partially decayed foliage assumes all the hues of the rainbow, cud in many eases the colours are so charmingly blended, as to present scenes inexpressihl; beautiful. It is one of the characteristics of Nova Kcotian scenery that wood grows everywhere on the very margin of the water; whether salt or fresh. As the morning is c.ilm the trees are reflected vividly on the surface ; the brilliant colours brought out by occa- sional gleams of clear sunshine, being toned in the reflection — the trembling undulations of the water, in which they delight to glass themselves, impart- in^ a truly ethereal aspect to the pleasing scene. Although this part of the country bears no close resemblance to the Garden of Eden, we are reminded of that passage in Paradise Lost, where Eve for the first time beholds her owu ;i~nge in the water : — " Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound Of waters issued from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain ; then stood unmoved, Pure as the expanse of heaven; I thither went With inesl)erienced thought, and laid mo down On the green bank, to look into the clear •Smooth lake that to me seemed another sky ! As I bent'down to look, just opposite A shape within the w itery gleam appeared '.dir,;j ?o look on me. I started back, 1 . tartec" back ; but pleased I soon return'd, Pleas'd it returned as soon with answering looks Of sympathy and love." Passing the limits of Halifax county in the direction of Windsor the A TRIP TO TttE t'RUlT SHOW. 470 sccno clmngc.^. Instead of the profusion of spruce, fir, and dwarf birch wliicli prevails for twenty miles after leaving Halifax, a gooilly quantity of licnilock, liircli and maple clothes tli > country, and its aspect becomes in nn ngricuUural point of view, Ki'ca'.ly imiiroved. .Smiling fields and neat cottages enliven tbo scene, and the general appearance of the country pre- sents evidence of comparatively ancient settlement. On our arrival ot Wind- sor Station there is the usual bustle and activity. To secure our luggage and a comfortable seat on the coacli are the main ol)jects. Tlie coachman is an important personage, whom tiie passengers consult with great defer- ence as to the disposal of their persons and traps. In appeorance and man- ner he is a portly n'lirosentative of the "old Weller" scliool, save that his clearness of eye and freshness of complexion imlicato that the race is im- jiroving. We avo honored by a seat on Her Majesty's mail bag, containing lots of Ibr ix newspapers. Owing to the very combustible material of which .some of tlie edi orials consist we do not feel very comfortable. An editor who lias been a fellow-passenger by train, and upon whom we look down as he stands at the hotel entrance, modifies our fears by assuring us that none of his lit?rary torpedoes are below us. We are favored on the top with the company of a gentleman who consoles us as the coach start.', and \\-; feel our seat insecure by saying that he once bad a rapid descent, without any serions consequences. On the present occasion ho takes the precaution of providing himself with a stout umbrella, the bent handle of which he hooks to the top rail of the coach, and thus riding— as he ex- pressed it — securely at anchor, we proceed on our paradoxical journey. The coach proprietors, semible of the amount of brain tliat would be lost to the country should an accident occur, engaged the services of an emi- nent M.D., whose presence was all the more acceptable — our friend of tiie anchor sagely remarked — as it was expected a numbjr of little mails would be delivered on the journey. We have now crossed the Avon, and behold a portion of that process by which the fertile dyke i^-ds are produced. The sea has for a season re- ceded to a groat distance", and has left in its rear a plain of many hundred acres in which the deposits necessary to constitute arable land arc being gradually made. Tlie tide, as if inspired with intelligence, collects mud mixed with very fine sand, and bearing the treasure in its bosom, carefully deposits it in thin layers on the surface of the flats, and having thus like a bee left its treasure returns to collect more material to add to the general stock. We have it on the eminent authority of Dr. Dawson that there are in Nova Scotia fifty thousand acres of dyked marsh, the value of which is estimated at twenty pounds per acre,* the undyked land, bare at low ebb tide, m i II "•M -%m * Dr. Dawson's statement as to the quantity of dyked marsli is evidently based on llie census of 1861, when tlie quantity of land yielding crop was rettirned HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. being of immensely greater extent. It is highly creditable to the skill and enterprise of the French that they have succeeded in reclaiming by their ingenuity and labor such large tracts of country, and that at a period when scientific attainments in the accomplishment of such work was by no means common. For many years previous o the middle of last century they raised splendid crops of wheat as the reward of their industry, whicli they were able to export inconsiderable quantity to the Boston market. IIow much of thill valuable cereal is growing in that fertile region now? If the French and the English who succeeded them have been able to reclaim, laboring under many disadvantages, so much valuable land, what would cap'tal and scientilic skill not efl'ict in the same direction? The sea is performing its p'lrt of the work with gigantic power, and undevlating re- gularity, and would seem alike by the terrible roar or gentle ripple of its waves, to call upon man to reap the benefit of its beneficent industry. And here we cannot refrain from shedding a tear of sympathy for the unfoitua- atc Acadians who, in the full enjoyment of the fruit of their industry, were compelled by the consequences of war to bid adieu to those fertile fields Avhich it had been their delight to cultivate. The scenery aa we proceed to Wolfville is truly beautiful. On the right stretches the marshland towards the Basin of Minas. On the flat hundreds of cattle are quietly browsing. Iq the distance rises Blomidon, forming with the mountain range of which it is the terminus, a dignified north easteru boundary to the prospect. The weather continues all that can be desired. We have those alternations of sunshine and cloud to which we have referred as forming that condition of the atmosphere most suitable for viewinfT auch scenery. As we hurl along we pass small gullies and deep gorges, in which the variegated colors of the foliage seem to glow with ptculiar intensity — the startling eflect being produced by the contrast formed by certain spots of the forest gleaming in pure sunshine, whilst other spots immediately contiguous, are thrown in shade by a passing cloud. We bad often heard glowing descriptions of the beauty of Nova Scotian forest under two heads, namely, dyked marsh, of wliich there was 40,012 acres, and other improved laud 799,310 acres, makhig in all 839,322 acres. The returns of 1861 show four dlvidons — dyked marsh, saltniBrsh, cultivated intervale and cultivated upland. Of dyked marsh there weie 35,487 acres. Mr. Fulton, the Secretary to the Board of Statistics, remarks that it would be a mistake to suppose then was less of this de- scription of land in cultivation than formerly— the differenoe in tlie flgures being Accounted for from the fact that a large quantity of land returned In 1861 under the head of salt marsh, was in 1851 given as dyked marsh, there being in the returns of tliat year no distinctive head under which to place it. Ul rait marsh the quantity returned in 1861, was 20.729 acres, making together with the dyked marsh a total of £6,216 acres, being an iiicreafo of 16,204 acres over the total amount of marsh glveu in 1851. 'i'he returns of the laet census not Imviug bi'on pub'isliod, we regret the nbsence of reliable data as to the (present quautiiy as compared w:t!i tlie report of 1861. r A TRIP TO THfi FRUIT SHOW. 481 scenery, but, without the slightest desire to exaggerate, we declare that the actual sight of it has exceeded, in its inexpressible charms, our most san- guine expectations. To a Scotchman the scene is perfectly unique and startling. The emotions produced are different from those generated by the contemplation of Highland scenery. In the latter case there are presented chains of majestic mountains, whose tops are frequently shrouded in gloom, and upon whose capacious proportions one cannot look without experien- cing an intense sensation of the sublime— the scene being frequently enlivened by rushing torrents and foaming cataracts, while in the vale beneath streams meander amid verdant fields, tenanted by lowing cattle and bleeting sheep. But we are now at Wolfvillc— a pleasant village, the houses having an air of peculiar comfort, and having gardens attached to them in which rnsy-cheeked apples peep out fron' among the leaves, looking down on jolly cabbages and other vegetables. Here our friend the Doctor leaves us, being welcomed on his arrival by his venerable father — a fine specimen of the Nova Scotian old gentleman. * On narrowly scanning the Doctor's countenance we could find no traces of disappointment tliathehad no limbs to set, or human bellows to mend on the journey. We must now pass on to Kentville — another pleasant village. The coachman here lands us safely. We must do him the credit to say that he handled the reins most skilfully, and that his pleasant civility contributed not a little to the pleasure of the journey. Dinner being ordered, we are invited by two gentlemen, fellow passengers, whose acquaintance we had the pleasure of malcing, to take a short ante-dinner stroll, which we did towards a bank, at the base of which a river flows. It is immediately behind the hotel. Wf were glad of the suggestion, as the prospect is as extensive as it is beautifu]. The people of Kentville display good taste — and the same remark applies to Wolfville — in allowing the trees which embellish it to remain standing. In travelling through the eastern portion of the Province we were shocked at the spirit of Vandalism which had prompted some of the natives to clear the ground entirely in proximity to their dwellings of the noble trees which would have at once sheltered and adorned them. We may also remark that the churches in Kentville are quite in keeping with the quiet beauty of the place. There is nothing in architecture more despicable than the attempt to be grand on a small scale. We find in some parts of the Old Country, as well as here, churches whose designs seem to have been taken from lucifer match boxes, with heavy steeples, altogether disproportioned to the character and extent of the buildings, which seems to be quite in as good taste as if the head of a boy were adorned by a hat which would fit his grandfather. 1*1)1 i".'i ■,!i ,..,) (•) Mr. De Wolfe. lir 482 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. We imagine we hear the reader say— but what of the fruit show? Well, if he will exercise a little patience, we shall conduct him th'ther immedi- ately. After dinner we droYo to Somerset, about twelve miles north-east of Kentville. It was a clear moonlight night. The stars shone with great brilliancy, and the air was balmy for the season. Venus sparkled in the west with a concentration of ray which seemed as if she was resolved to give to a scene so congenial to her aspirations as the fruit show her special coun- tenance. Old Sol, ingoing down robed in richly colored cloudlets, seemed to have given her a hint as to how she was to deck herself, for soon after he disappeared she became visible in her purest and most brilliant vestal gar- ments. On looking at her we were reminded of the immortal lines of Burns— suggested by the very star upon which we were gazing— " Thou lingering star of lessening ray That lovest to greet the early morn, &c." And as we saw orchards by moonlight the words of Romeo occurred, " Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear That tips with silver all the fruit tree tops." After breakfast next morning we took a stroll through Somerset. It is quite a modern place, but has indications of vitality that promise devel- opment in a few years. The village is i)leasantly situated in a fertile plain, being within a short distance of part of the Blomidon hills, which we have resolved to visit before the exhibition opens at one o'clock. On attaining the summit we beheld a scene of pleasing grandeur, presenting as it does a more cultivated aspect than any portion of Xova Scotia we have previously beheld from an elevated position. The wood which originally abounded in the district has been to a great extent cut down, and the patches that remain are intersected by fertile fields — tJie open grour .1 being dotted by snug dwelling-houses. Vehicles proceeded from all directions to the show, charged with men and matrons, country lads and blooming lasses — presenting a very animated picture — tlieir extraordin- ary number proving how interested the people were in the Exhibition. Anxious to have a preliminary vie\r, we were soon at the door of the Exhibi- tion hall, to which we were at once admitted. The judges had met in the morning and awarded the prizes— a task of considerable delicacy as well as difficulty. Along the interior walls of the building, whichiaform was an oblong square, ran a table on which were placed the apples, grapes, vege- tables, &c., for exhibition. This table was subdivided into ^'liferent com- partments, each of which was devoted to the display of the property of an exhibitor. A ticket, indicating the description of apple, was placed above the respective lots, so that persons ignorant of the varieties, which exceeded sixty in rmmber, became by careful attention ff.^iiliar with the names of w A TRIP TO THE FRUIT SHCJW. 483 the difTerent kinds. The whole of the table space on each side of the hall was devoted to the exhibition of apples, " Blooming, ambrosinl fniit Of vegetable goIJ,'' whilst the space at eacli ond of the building gronnod with the otlicr ex- hibited varieties of the vegc able world. We h we been present at many fruit exhibitions of the Old World, but at none whcic there was a display of apples that could bear comparison with that before us. Tlie sight was one of which Nova Scotia has reason to be proud, and which ought to put all the croakers, of whom there are not a few in the Province, who prate about the poverty of the soil and the severity of the climate, to shame and silence. That must verily be a severe climate iu which such grapos as are seen here exhibited have grown in the open air — a dreadful climate in which, in some cases, a double crop of strawberries can be had in one sea- son— a fearful climate in which tender fruit, such as peaches, come to ma- turity — a climate of unmitigated severity in which we find ourselves, towards the end of Ootober, oppressed by the ra^'s of the sun, and wiping the perspiration from our heated brow. There is the sprout of a cherry tree which was grafted on a wild brother two years ago. In that period it has only attained the dwarfish height of eight feet; and if the grumblers about the severity of the weather, and the unsuitableness of the climate for human growth, require a natural specimen in confirmation of their opinion, we shall be happy to introduce them to Miss Swan, .vbo has only grown seven feet four inchc? in eighteen years I As evidence of the pro- (^uctiveness of the soil In this region, we were assured by a gentleman in Kentvillo that in tlie neighborhood a single acre of ground produced, by careful manuring, four hundred bushels of potatoes in one season ; and we were startled by the fact that the Valley of the Annapolis yields an- ually from forty to fifty thousand barrels of apples. The Rev. G. M. Grant has done the Dominion good service by the recent publication of his admirable book " From Ocean to Ocean," in which he gives a glowing but faithful description of the prairie land of the Far West. But in sober earnest it may be said that Nova Scotia presents to a farmer of moderate capital, skill and industry a more tempting field for settlement than even the rich virgin soil of the p.-aine. It is true that, with compara- tively trifling expenditure of labor, splendid crops can be obtained in the regions alluded to ; but where is the market for the sale of what may be produced ? Here a farmer can obtain land at a moderate price, and will ex- perience no difficulty in bringing his produce to market — a market, too, that is j early improving. He can, also, have his family well educated, and those social advantages in which an unsettled country is deficient, md ■which add so materially to the ag^i'egate of human comfort and happiness. CIIAPTEll XXIII. lis Tlie coal fleklw of Nova Scotia — Their extent — Annual production — Fi st attempt at mining in Cape Breton — Annual output at the variouFmines — The coal question in Great Britain — Trades Unions — Extent of the British coal fields — The Iron ores of the province — Their extent — The Potter mine at Clementsport — Iron ore near Whycoconiah and Port Hood. Nova Scotia has become famous for the extent of its coal fields, and the excellence of the quality of is coal. It is impossible to form an approxi- mate estimate of the quantity of the mineral in the Province, as the forma- tion has not been sufficiently explored. Mr. John Campbell, of Dartmouth, estimates the entire quantity of the carboniferous area in the Maritime Provinces as about eighteen thousand square miles, and that at least the half of that area, or nine thousand squ.ire miles, are in Nova Scotiri and Prince Edward Island. The Secretary of the Montreal Board of Trade states in his report for last year, 1872, that the I nown profitable working area is about two thousand two hundred square miles; lie nLmber of acres bsmg one million fonr hundred and eight thousand, and the contents of each acre being estimafud at thirty thousand tons— the total available supply amounting to 42,240,000,000 tons. Professor Leslie says : " The Albion Mines' beds are very exuaordinary deposits— they form an exception to all the phenomena of coal in all the British Provincial coal regions. Nothing like them has been discovered in the Provinces. The thickest beds of Cape Breton, East Coast, are never over twelve feet, and usually under nine feet ; but here we have one bed — the main seam — thirty feet six inches thick, of which twenty-four feet are good coal, the other half being poor coal and black shale in intermediate layers. The enormous quantity of coal here presented can only bo estimated properly by those who have been used to the vast oporations on the grey ash part of the anthracite region, where tlie rcgdlar thirty feet vein yields at least twenty millions of tons to the square mile after all deductions have been made." Mr. Richard Brown published, in 1871, a book on the coal fields and coal trade of Cape Breton, in which he says— and he is ii lirst-rate authority — that although the total thickness of the Sydney coal measures has not been correctly made out, there is good reason to conclude that from Burnt Head to Glace Bay, where the highest known bed occurs, down to the millstone grit, it is not much under seven thousand feet. The Sydney coal field — the most extensive in the Province— extends from Mira Bay on the east to Cape Dauphin on the west, a distance of thirty-one miles — a tract of country occupying an area of about two hundred square miles. These facts are mentioned as merely indicating the extent of the Nova Scotia coal fields which are only beginning to be duly appreciated. As evidence of the rapidity with which this portion of the resources of the Province is being developed we present a list of the coal mines opened in Cape Breton siace THE COAL QUESTION. 485 the year 1858, with their e3timated contents as detailed in Ke. Brown's very interesting book: Estimated contents of Mines. South Head Colliery, Cow Bay 2G2,500 tons Tracey's Colliery, Mira Bay 3,520,000 " Gowrie Mines, Cow Bay 11,872,000 " Block House Mine, Cow Bay 9^750,000 " Acadia Colliery, Schooner Pond Clyde Colliery, Glace Bay 12,500,000 " Caledonia Colliery, Glace Bay 25,605,000 " Glace Bay Colliery, Little Glace Bay 43,000,000 " International Mines, Bridgeport 47,600,000 " Victoria Mines, Low Point 55,640,000 " Ingraham's Colliery, Bras d'Or Road Collin's Colliery, Little Bras d'Or 750,000 " Matheson's Colliery, LittleBras d'Or — — Black Rock Colliery, Great Bras d'Or 2,700,000 " New Campbelltown Colliery, Great Bras d'Or.. 9,000,000 " Chimney Corner Colliery, Margaree Broad Cove Area, Gulf Shore Mabou Area, Gulf Shore — Port Hood Colliery, St. George's Bay Richmond Colliery, Little River Sea-Coal Bay, Gut of Canso New Mines in progress 9,633,000 The quantity of coal raised in Nova Scotia in 1827 was only 11,491 tons. In 1837, the quantity was 109,347 tons ; in 1847, it rose to 183,099 tons ; and in 1857, 267,808 tons. Under the reciprocity treaty between Britain and the United States adopted in 1854, the trade continued to be greatly de- veloped—culminating in 1805 in the production of 635,580 tons— till in 1807 on the abrogation of the treaty, and the imposition by the States of a duty of five shillings sterling a ton, it received a check, from which under a more modified impost — seventy-five cents — by Congress, and an immense rise of prices in Britain it is now rapidly recovering, and promises within a few years to expand at a remarkably rapid rate. The following statement shows the quantity of coal raised and shipped in the Province of Nova Scotia from the year 1827 to the year 1872 in- clusive : Year. Tons. Cwt. 1827 11,491 1828 19,429 17 1829 20,252 12 1830 25,240 6 1831 34,424 8 1832 46,580 6 1833 69,497 4 1834 46,677 12 1835 51,813 5 1836 98,427 3 1837 109,347 12 1838 97,938 14 Year. Tons. Cwt. 1839 133,928 11 1840 ...98,207 17 1841 136,110 9 1842 119,478 12 1843 97,200 12 1844 99,993 14 1845 137,908 13 1846 134,393 12 1847 183,099 13 1848 170,618 1 1849 168,955 10 1850 163,725 8 II 436 lllSTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. \f\ ■ Hi Year. Tons. Cwt. 1851 i39,9T('. ];{ 1852 171,821 J8 1853 196,935 17 1854 ?13,250 li3 1855 21G,:"!S 3 1856 231,.i;;4 7 1857 267,808 17 1858 289,618 1859 267,406 1860 304,129 1861 334.545 15 1862 393,031 5 Yea.-. Ti.,13. Cwt. 1863 424,425 2 1864 576,934 1865 635,53(5 1866 558,519 <) 1867 471,185 1868 453,624 1869 511,794 1870 568,276 1871 596,418 1872 785,914 10,864,862 This statement shows that last year— 1872 —upwards of one hundred nuJ fifty thousand tons more coal have been raised in the Province than in any previous year, the production of 1865 coming nearest to it. * The production of 1873 promises to exceed to a larga extent thai ''f the previous year. We give a comparative statement of the outpu* and sale for the first six months of 1873, as compared with the same period of last year :— Coal raised in 1873 455,560 tons " " " 1872 275,060 Increase 183,500 Coal sold in 1873 226,700 .^us " " " 1872 137,100 Increase in six months.. G9.600 tons It is singular that for a period of nearly two hundred years after the discovery of C ipe Breton, where the coal deposits are in many places exposed on the coast, historians .uid navigators made no mention of them. Ji'icholas Denys, to vhom reference has been made in another part of this work, was the first to publisli to the world their existence, in a book pub- lished in Paris in 1672. For a number of years vessels were loaded from the clilfs. In 1708, M. Raudot, the able intendant of the marine of Canada, previously referred to, pointed out in a report furnished to the French Government, the advantages which France might derive from the prosecution of the trade in coal, which he represented as abounding in t ha Island of Cape Breton. The first attempt at mining in the island was made on the north side of ♦The Canadian market must bo almost entirely supplied with bit-.imliiouf coal from Nova Scotia, and the growing want.-" of tlie Upper Provinces csiiecially, must i^iruish a large amount of trade in the article. The abjcncc of unity of action amongst capitalists has occasioned in the Island of Capo Breton considerable expenditure which might have been avoided ; it is to be hoped that thi oxporlenco of the past will lead to more harmonious action in future. When, forexample> one railway might be constructed, which would accommodate several proprietors why siiould separate lines be formed ? The expense of construclion and main- tenance might bo equitably divided. The int jre-sts of all the coal proprietors may be said to be — to a large extent— identical. THE COAL Ql ESriON. •^87 m Cwt. 2 n Cow Bay in 1720, in ori'ir to supply the workmen wlio wore laying tlu foundation of tiie fortress of Louisbourg. In 17C0, Benjamin Gerri.='.,, William Lloyd, Jaraea Armstronp, and Peter Bard, merchants of Halifax, ■were authorized to dig three thousand l Idrona of coal, paying four hundred pounds sterling for the privilege- ihe lessees being obliged to send the half of the quantity mentioned to Hi lifax, and to sell it at no higher price than twenty-six sliillings sterling, a chaldron. These gentle- men opened a mine at Sydney • — then called Spanish River — from which the necessary quantity was extracted. Meantime, parties helped them- selves copiously from tlie cliffs, and in this clandestine way a considerable trade was carried on, till the (iovornment sent trooi)3 to put a stop to further excavations. On LieutenantrCol. Desbarrea being appointed Governor of the Island, in 1784, he commenced mining on Govci-nmcnt account, when the coal was sold at eleven shillings and sixnence the ton. The Governor who succeeded Desbarres in 1788, recommended that the mines should be leased, which was done to Thomas Huxley ; three shillings and sixpence for every ton produced going into the ■ ocket of the Governor— a jJCiiiuisite which was abolished by ordor of the Secretary of Stale, in 1792. The quantity of coal yir' 'ed by the mines in Cape Breton, each year for the four years previous to io2G, when they came into the hands of the General Mining Association, was about 7,500 tons. The output of the Island in 1872 was 38.3,313^ tons. Pictou is, however, still iu .idvance of Cape Lrelon, having produced in the same year 388,4 17^ tons. In Cumberland, prepaiations ere I eing l ide for the conduct of business, on a scale bearing a reasonable pro] Ttion to the admirable coal deposits of the county. At the Jogt,;ns, ^2,291 tons were sold during 1872, being - ill tons more than the output of the preceding year. The Spring Hill Mining Company have a most valuable property, which they are now working with spirit. The Albion Mines Comnany sold -n 1872, 98,8(35 tons, being an increase of 21,732 tons over the previous year. The Acudia Company sold in 1872, 123,063 tons, exceeding the sales of the previous year by 19,056 tons, being the largestoutput for any one mine in th( '^rovinco. The Intercolonial sold in 1872, 105,543 tons, an in . 'use of 54,058 over the total quantity minea during the previous year. An accident, reaulting in great loss of life, has put a stop in the meantime to the operations of this enterprising company. The Nova Scotia Com»iany sold in 1872, 00,590 tons, an increase over the previoua year of 48,072 tons.f The Sydney Mines turned out in 1872, 102,691 tons. The operations of the Company were interfered with by the snow storms in winter, blocking the railway and retarding the shipments. Ii| * Sydney has been so uamcd alter Lord Sydney, Secretary of State for the Colonies. t For hitercsting information rG>pGcting the Tiotou coal Holds, see Geological Reports, by Sir W. K. Logau and Mr. E. Hartley ; also Appendix— separately publislird by Mr. Hartley : Uawpou Bros., Montreal, 1870. 438 IIISTOKY OF NOVA SCOTIA. [H Tlie Victo-ia Company sold in )872, in,'.>'22 tons, and the Lingan 38,404 tons — an output largely in excess of last year's. Operations at the International having been suspended, and not resumed till September, the business done was necessarily limited. The quantity yielded by Gluce Bay in 1872 was 30,715 tons— difficulty having been experii.iced in obtaining the necessary amount of labor. The (Caledonia produceed 44,18C tous-an increase of 19,531 tons. The Clyde sold 2,600 tons. The Blockhouse sold 42,743 tons, and Gowrie 4G,C02, being an iucrca-.e on the latter of 4,171 tons.* In England the coal question is being largely discusse.l. The enoimous rise in the price of coal has been felt by the entire population, and th.-> causes of it have been investigated by a special commission.! Nova Scotia as a coal producing country is likewise deeply interested in the general question — the present stimulus in the trade being mainly attributable to tlie high price which the mineral has attained in Great Britain. Twenty years ago there were no reliable mineral statistics published periodically in Great Britain, but in the year 1855 Robert Hunt published a work of that description, in which the quantity of coal raised in the United Kingdom, as ascertained by means of circulars addressed to the various owners or lessees of collieric.", and by personal inquiries, was C4,- GGl,40l tons. The development of the trade since that period has been astounding. In 1857 si.xty-five millions of tons were extracted, in 1859 nearly seventy-two millions of tons, in 1865 ninety-eight millions of ton?, and in 1871 — the latest authentic return — one hundred and seventeen w(7Z 350,894 321 1871 370,881 317 1872 413,:t:!4 29D Tlie result is tlmt coal is now selling in London for liouaeliold iiurposcs ai forty-five shillings per ton, and the ycottish American Journal inforuH us that ere this year has ended the price in New York will be ton doUars ;ier ton. What the miners have' accomplished in Great Ilritain is Ijeing c.Tected in the Stales by a couibination among the companies that control the mining and transportation of anthracite coal. Stoves and furnaces in the Eastern States having been constructed for tliis description of coal, the community are to a certain extent temporarily at the mercy of the companies refcri;ed to ; but the high price now charged for anthracite has tended to dcvelope the i)roduction of bituminous coal to a larger extent than formerly, of which only about a third of all the coal raised in the States (ireviously consisted, but which during Ihi j)a3t year constituted more than one half of the aggregate [)ruUuetion — the quantity for 1872 being anthracite nineteen millions of tons, and bituminous, of which there is an immense deposit — twenty-two niillious of tons.* Both the miners of Great Britain, and colliery owners of the States will find to their cost that the supply of an article upon which the prosperity of Kingdoms and States is so largely d>-pendeiit cannot be limited by their behests. Absolute freedom of labor, which must ultimately prevail, and the introduction of coal cutting machinery, will prevent a permanent monopoly of labor ; and in the other case, the adaptation of furnaces and stoves to bituminous coal — a result which still higher prices of anthracite is sure to produce- will bo an effectual antidote.f \Vm. Baird & Co., of Scotland, are now emjiloying a coal cutting machine which is known as Gledhill's patent Imperial, and which consists of an endless chain, with attached cutters drawn round an arm which extends under the coal. " When the machine is at work— says an able writer in the Edinburgh Review— it draws itself by means of the motive power of the air, which is compresse ; at the pit's mouth to thirty-five to forty pounds per square inch, and is conveyed from the pit's mo"hth to the inner cast iron pipes, and while al work is only • The exact quantity produced in H72 in tlio States wati 41,491,135 tons. t Tlio same result may be confldently anticipated in lie Woat Inilicu, wlicre, as present, Enf^llshcoal is almost exclusively vn""!, being brought to market by vessel s chartered to return with cargoes of sagar. The writer has boon cou ^eously favor- ed witli tlie perusal of a letter from a We.st Indian Merchant to a fijend In ll-'ilax in wldch the prospects of the West Indian coal trade (\ro discussed with clearness and ability. The writer says ihut the price of English coal l.as recently advanced BO much that the pn>3ent f^irnaces wldch are adopted for it must give nlacc to others suited for Nova Scotian coal. As evidence of thi^ further extontion of bust- 'less, it may be stated tliat vessels which used to proceed from Englnud to Canada with cargoes of coal now leave in ballast, putting in at Capo Brotou Torts, and loading coal for the Canadian market. THE Cn.VL QfEHTinX. lOl 1, IV II. I purposes al intbniH on dollars I 13 being lat control 'urnaces in m of coal, ;rcy of the aulhracite •ger extent ied in the :on3Ututoil y for 1872 vhicli there 1 miners of ir coat that and States . Absolute •eduction of labor ; and bituminous producvj — id, are now ill's patent ;ied cutters he machine raws itself at the pit's vcvcd from \i only whcre, n< ;et by vessel s Dusly favor- A in H 'Mfiix Jth clearuosa lly advanced Ive iilace to ition of busi- ml to Canada Ports, and attended by tiiree men.'' The Messrs liaird say tlint tlie work done by this invention is throe hundred to tiiree hundred and lil'ly feet, cut two feel nine inches deci), in "a sjiifl" of from eight to ten hours' work, and as the particular seam worked by it is two feet ton ineiiej thick, the yield is from seventy-five to ninety tons— tlio cost of the maeiiinj being two hu:i- drod pounds. It is calculated that if tiieso maciiines were generally adojited, of the tln'oc hundred tliousnnd colliers now omploj-ed, si.xty thousand would sullico to raise the ani'iuil Uritisli extraction of one luiii- dred and twenty million tons. Tlie application of this machine to the thick scams of the Nova Scotia formation, for which it is admirably adapted would produce a proiiortionally more satisfactory result as to quantity,* As the demand for and price of Nova Scotia coal will mainly deiicnd upon the condition of the IJiitish coal trade, the ]>eoplo of tliis Province lire as deeply interested in the general subject, as the pcop!' of Great Britain. The question then occurs, what is the quantity of coal available in Great Britain, or in other words, how long is the stock to last upon which there is a present annual demand of lliO millions of ton?, a demand which is likely to continue, augmenting from year to year for an indefinite period ? British writers of eminence are already referring to the time when Britain must apply for her coal to the British Nortli American Provin- ces, wliich are represented to have eight tliousand square miles oi workable coal, of which Nova Scotia contains a large jiroportion.t The most reli- able data are furnislicd by the nine able commissioners appointed to inves- tigate the subject, wlio adirm, aftei careful i'Kpiiry, that tlie i)robablc quan- tity contained in the coal fields of the United Kingdom is 90,207 millions of tons, but they state that there is prohuhli/ at workable depths 56,273 millions of tons— forming an aggregate of 140,480 millions of tons. On the assumption that the annual consumption increased to two hundred and thirty millions of tons, this estimated sujiply would be siifHcient for six hundred and thirty-six yea^r3. But there are serious imnediments to the satisfactory working of deep coal beds. The increase of temperature in coal mines is about 1° Fahr. for every sixty feet of dejitli, but the expe- rience furnished by the deepest coal pit in Great Britain, that at Rose- bridge, near Wigan, and where the shaft is 2,370 feet deep, indicates * rrofessor Hind in Ids reijort, 1871, en tlio Sydney CoUiiry sny»— " Many of tho objections to tho general use of coal cutting machinery are to bo traced to preju- dice, and opposing interests. Ample proof exists tliat simple and effectual coal cutting maciiines nro now in operation in ICuropo wliich wi'.I effect a saving of fully one luvlf in cutting out tlie coal. The advantages are of a thieefuld cliarnctcr. 1st. Safety by avoiding the use of gunpowder. 2nd. Tlio less amount of slacli obtained, 3i\l. Tlio saving in labor and time. The Grafton Jones' coal cuttins machine is described as pusliiiig coal out of the solid, without nny holing or natural breaks in the scams. At Kevertf n I'ark Colli- ery, in Soutli Yorkshire the seam is live feet thick, and the coal is very hard; but by the use of tho hydrauiic wedge, blocks are got four yards long and four feet wide— each about eight tons weight— by one application of the mazhine." t The obscrvaticftis of tho Rev. G. M. Grant in crossing the American Continent fully corroborate the report as to the enormous quantity of coal in British North America. That gentleman in his valuable work, " Ocean to Ocean," recently pub- lisiii'ii, describes seams which he saw on the North Saskatchewan, and also on the Pembina Kiver. I I I 492 IIIHTOIIY OK NOVA 800TI>. M tliat the rate of heat iiioroadc-i in gi'oiiler proitoi'tioii afler icachiiig 1,800 fcot — the thermometer registering 92' Falir. at tlie lowest point of this pit, beyond wliich iieat it wmiltl aoem impo^sibli! to worlt with couifDrt. Tho adilitioniil expenae of working coal at great deptlis, and with inrroased lieat, which it niiglit bo irapossiblo to counteract, renders tho economical valnc of tiie lower c.irboniferons strata doubtful. Comparatively largo as is tho ([uaniity of coiil in Xova Scotia, it 'a not for tho permanent interest of the Province that the export trade sliouhl attain to gigantic proportions. It is desirable that it should be used, as it is to a largo e.xteut'in OrcotHritain, in rendering the iron ores which abound in the l*rovii;co into pig and malleablo iron, thus employing labor on a large scale, without which no country can be commercially groat. Tho benefit to the I'l'ovince from the simple extraction and transportation of the coal would bo trifling, as compared with tlie advantages that would bo derived from its application to tho production of iron, and in manufac- tures of various kinds. The cotton manufacturers of England require about two and a half millions tons of coal, and the worsted and woollen manufac- turers about ono million and a quarter. The coal exports of Great Ilritain are becoming alarmingly large. Twelve millions, ninty-two thousand tons were approiiriatcd by furcig i countries in 1872, being an increase of 302,027 tons over the shipments of the pre- vious year. In 18G2, France took 1,300,255 tons, and in 1872 her dematid amounted to 2,191,340 tons. In England tho great export of coal is bogin- ning to be regarded as detrimental to the interests of the country. The following are the Coal Exports from Great Britain and the United States to the Atlantic Ports of America. OnKAT BHITAIK EXPORTED. To British North America... U. States of the Atlantic . British West Indies Foreign West Indies .Mexico U. States of Colombia Brazil Uruguay Argentine Confederation Total COAL. 1870 1871 Tons. 224,955 8(1,014 174,193 338,801 3,256 2,893 261.508 122,686 59,729 1,268,040 Tons. 189,274 91,483 1 75,335 281,877 2,821 11,241 316,417 96,648 62,860 1,227,950 VALtTB. 1871. i;86,318 01,524 99,387 149,574 1,227 7,190 188,036 65,888 42,970 i;702,ll4 J - ■ ' UNITED STATES EXPORTED. COAL. 1871. 1872. VALUE. 1871. To Canada Tons. 216,633 1 1,932 1,186 1,284 31,383 2,415 3,117 Tons. Cuba China East Indies U. States of Colombia Hayti Other Countries Total 267,951 300,878 $1,369,236 THE mON (HIES OF NOVA SCOTIA. 498 7,190 OrcattT a'tention is hn'nvi ti)W paid to tlin vahmbk' iroii oros of the Pro- vince with a view to llie pructiniil dotci'iniiintion of their economic vuliie. I'rofessor Hind lias niccniily imblislied a report on tlie Uninburhiad coal . fields ill tlieir relation to the iron ili'pusils of the Cob'cpiids, in whicii ho siiys : " Nova iScotia in the oily Province in the D,)iniiiioii where iron and coal are in coniparative cluse proximity, or in other wordd, where the eon- litious uecciisary for tiie nmniifacturu of ciieap and good iron prevail. Tho duvclot of the Ciiinberliuid coal will be (greatly stimiilateil by tho sitnnltb 'evelopnKMit of tlic iron deposits of tho Cobe(piid.s, and a new indusi 'W rapiilly siirin;^ into existence in Nova Scotia wliicli will greatly nco Ita prosperity. I have endeavored to re|)rodiico in this report reliable inforinatiun on the ores of the Cobecpiidn, and th>'ir coiu- uiercial relation to the (.'diiiberlanil ooal, under tlw conviclio'i that Iho time is not far distant wlien Nova Scotia will be able to supply the Do- minion, not only with an abnnilance of cheap and good coal, but also with clieap and good iron." Dr. Honeyman, in an able paper which appears in the tninsactions of the Nova Scotia Institute of Natural Science, 18(i.i-70, on the Iron Deiiosits of East liiver, in tlie County of Pictou, says : '• Tlieo- rists hare advanced the same opinion as has been done in regard to tho hematites of Londonderry mines. Tuis opinion is, that it must necessarily bo confined to tho depth of a few foot. I met this view of the matter in a for- mer communication to tliis Institute by tlio fact that a level cutting in tho Londonderry beds, ut a depth of 100 feet from tlie surface, showed the ore as still hematite. In addition to this, Mr. Jones, the manager of tho Lon- donderry iron mine, in answer to impiiries, has informed me th it he has jiroved tlie beds to a depth of 200 feet, and fouml tho ore si ill hematite so that any theory of this band implying limited depth at Eaat River is completely untenable." Dr. lloueyiiiiin's o[)inion has been fully corrobo- rated by the fact that recently adit levels have been driven on the course of this vein, which, in a vertical depth of 350 feet, expose upwards of twenty thousand tons of ore, with an increase of the deptli of the deposit as the descent becomes greater. The quantity of rich hematite seems in fact to be practically inexhaustible. That the value of the iron deposits of the Province, which it is no exag- geration to say extend for miles in undiminished profusion, is being appre- ciated by men of skill and cipital, is proved by the pleasing fact that English companies are in course of formation 'or the purpose of working these ores, in Pictou County, on a scale coma iiisurate with their value, so that probably in a few years Nova Scotia will require her large stock of coal for her own works. Mr. Henry S. Poole in his last published report to the Commissioner of Public Works and ilines, states that the Potter mine, the property of the Annapolis Iron Mining Company at Cleme itsport, neglected for several years, was reopened last summer, and that, during ten weeks, one thousand teas of ore were extracted, six hundred tons of which were smelted on tho ground, yielding one hundred and sixty-three tons of pig iron which was shipped to Boston. Mr. Poole also informs us that preparations are in progress to estauiish the mines and iron works on a permanent basis, and that large quantities of raw ore will probably ba exported for reduction in the furnaces of Pennsylvania. The deposits of valuable iron oi'e in the neighborhood of the works ot 1 H if 494 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. ;:..,r the Intercolonial Iron and Steel Company, at Londonderry, are found to be immense, and operations are likely to be carried on much more extensively than at preient at these works — the opening of the Intercolonial Railway affording facilities for the development of business. I Near Whycocomah there is a vein of iron ore of which Mr. R. G. Frascr, of Halifax, has given the writer the following discription : " The property," he says. " consists of a Government right of search over five square miles, nnJ is situated on the side of a mountain, at the north-west side of Bras d'Oi Lake, Cape Breton, about four miles from Whycocomah, on the road to Plaster Cove, Strait of Canso. The lode is of Red Hematite, and is four feet thick, nearly perpendicular, in serpentine rock, and running east and west with the strata of the rock. The lode is in 'a gulsh' in the mountain, and has been opened at the bottom of the gulsh, showing fur forty feet a good solid vein. The place wliero the vein is situated is live hundred and forty feet from the place where the ore could be shipped. There is every facility for mining operations, with an unbroken forest of hard wood for charcoal. The ore can be shipped to the Sydney coal mines, which are distant about sixty miles; as according to the Government charts there is sufficient depth of water for large vessels all the way." On the same property there is a rich load of magnetic ore ten feet wide, and also a lode of the same kind, not so rich, fifty feet wide, and mixed with slate, besides three other lodes of Red Hematite. It is well known that the main advantage possessed by Great Britain over other countries in the manufacture of iron is owing to the ores being found in inexhaustless abundance, usually inters tratifled with the coal for their redaction, and in proximity ' j tlie mountain lime stone, which is used BP a flux — the ores principally cm^;loyed being clay ironstone, and car- bonate of black bands. Professor How, in his "Mineralogy of Nova Scotia,"* quotes from a report by Mr. Barnes on a deposit of iron ore in Colchester county of the clay kind : " This ore is found in thin beds and nodules, chiefly in the lower coal formation, and contains from twenty to thirty-five per cent of metal. It occurs in Cape Broton in larger quantities and of richer quality than in any other portion of the Province. Nowhere, however, have I seen it in equal abundance to similar deposits in the United Kingdom, where it is the chief ore smelted, dnd there it occurs in the same formations as observed here. . . . "Clay ironstone occurs in the Joggins Sjction and elsewhere," Dr. Dawson says, "in balls and in shales, and in irregular bands. None of these deposits are at present of any economical importance, though could smelting works be established in connection with the Londonderry ores, a considerable additional supply of clay iron- stone could be procured from the coal measures, and might be of much value." The late Mr. Edward Hartley, in his report, 1870, on the coal and iron of Pictou county, says of the clay ironstone : " A large number of bands of clay ironstone U'ere noted during my examination of the Pictou • "The Mineralogy of Nova Scotia," by Henry How, D.C.L., Halifax, N.3. Charles Annaud, publisher, 1869. Tbls admirable book wi.g published under the aunpiccs of the present Local Government, and U indispensabe to every Intelligent Nova Scotlan who wishes to become aoqualn ed with the mineral riches of the country. A new edition, em- bracing the Important mineral discoveries made since 1869, is much required. THE IRON ORES OP NOVA SCOTIA. 495 nd to be ensively Railway t. Fraser, roperty," ire mile?, B of Bras the road te, and is ining east h' in the owing ft>r ted is live i shipped. . forest of loal mines 1 overnmcnt way." 1 feet wide, mixed with Britain over being found al for their ich is used le, and car- gy of Nova f iron ore in in beds and n twenty to ir quantities Nowhere, a the United in the same the Joggins lales, and in Y economical connection of clay iron- t be of much the coal and je number of of the Pictou Halifax, N.3. present Local who wishes to jw edition, em- required. ■coal field, but none of a size generally considered workable. Some thirty years ago, however, a cross cut was driven by the General Mining Associa- tion upon the measures underlying the main seam at the Albion mines, and several beds of ironstones were intersected ; no reliable record remains of their size and quality, and the attempts therein are known to have failed, but vihi tlier from mismanagement, or from the poor quality of the ore is not certain." But notwithstanding these somewhat unfavorable accounts of the clay ironstone to be found with tne co.il deposits of the Province, it must be grati- fying to such of our Cape Breton friends as may not be aware of the fact to know that, interstratifii'd with the coal veins in the township of Port Hood, the working of which, for want of sufficient wharfage and other reasons, has been for some time discontinued, there is abundance of what 7ery nearly resembles, if it is not precisely identical with, the British ilay iron ore, found interstratified in large quantitij with the coal. Mr. Fraser, who ha? the rij^ht of search, showed the writer a section with the measurements of the deiosit, and stated that it was analysed in England, and was found to contain forty-one per cent of iron.* This is, so far as the writer kr ows, the first discovery of valuable iron ore in largj quantity found in Novu Scotia interstratified '^h coal. If lime stone to be used as a flux is found in the vicinity of the coal and iron, then all the conditions which have rendered Great Britain so famous as an iron producing and iron ship building country, are to be found in this little Province; but it is not perhaps too much to say that the superiority in the richness of the iron ores in Pictou County, and elsewhere, as compared with the quality of tlie British, does not more tlian compensate for the short distance they require to be conveyed for smelt- ing.! % * Mr. Henry N. Paint has shown us the analysis artested by tli.. Assayist to the fiauk of England. t Port Hood, near wliich the ironstone has been found interstratified with coal is a flourishing town in the County of Inverness. The county is in length from the Strnit of Canso to Cape North, upwards of one huadrod miles, being in breadth from (Ifleen to tweaty-flvo miles j its' area excefldi two thousand square mileii, mostly flt, when cleared, for oultiv.atlon. A lofty ridgo of high lands run through the middle of the county, from north to south— the water fVom these on the west Bide falling into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and those on the east side Into the Bras d'Or Lake. Tlie flrst settlers of tliis county wore a few Acadian French families, who emigrated f^om '^ 'nee Edward Island, in I'H, to Chet^camp, where the bouse of Robin & Co., of Jb.oay, erected a Q^hing edtablishmont about that time. Tlie next settler was a Captain Smith, who emigra'ed (torn New England, and erected the flrst house at Port Hood, and whose numerous descendants were farmers. In 18)6 emigrants from North Britain bogan to flock into the country, and have con- tinued to do 80 ever since, till the population of the county is now 28,415. The above information has been mainly derived from an address delivered ty Ur. Wm. MoKecn, President of the Inverness Agricultural Society at its first meeting held in Poit Hood on the first of March, 184:^. (M AFTER XXIV. I fi I Tlie Gold Mines of Nova Scotia — First discovery of Gold in the Province — ReasonH for the I'ailiire of Alining operations — The total quantity of Gold produced— Gold Mines of Australia as compared with those , the Province — Silver ore. When gold wns firsi discovered iu Nova Scotia it is hnpossible to deter- mine. The name given by the French to places such as Bras d'or, Cap d'or, &c., seem to indicate their belief in the presence, at an early period in the Province, of the precious metals. Jlr Heatheringtonsays that the discovery of golden quartz was first made by Lieutenant, now Captain, C. L'Estrange while moose hunting in the autumn of 1838.* The Captain in a letter under date, Halifax 22nd October 18G7, addressed to Mr. Heatherington says that during a hunting trip on the Tangier river in September, 1858, he found unmistakable traces of gold in the quartz of that district. He with difficulty, having no hammer, procured a si)ecimen, showing a trace of the metal, but the idea of its being gold was ridiculed by the sauans in miner- alogy — the only exception being Mr. Campbell of Dartmouth, who told him that he had discovered gold even in Halifax harbor. Three years afterwards Captain L'Estrange, when in t'~ Mauritius, saw a newspajier account of the discovery of gold at Tanr i j Mr. Campbell had panned gold in 1849, and seems to have been the » ;o advocate the existence of the metal in quantity in the Province. The enthusiasm which was first inspired by the discovery gradually abated, and a corresponding depression occurred when it was found that skill, capital, aud patieuce were required to render the mines productive. Mr. H. S. Poole, in his report of 1872, on the inspection of the mines, says that a complete change has recently taken i)lace in the working of the gold mines, and that there has been a consequent falling off in the number of men engaged, as well as in the quantity of gold produced — the change referred to being the almost total discontinuance of work by companies, and the introduction of the system of working the mines by tribute. Under this system a per centage on the value of the gold extracted is allowed to the mine proprietors by the parties who have undertaken to work them. That gold mining in the Province is not conducted on the whole on scientific principles is admitted— the failure of satisfactory results being mainly due to the absence of the most approved and economical methods of working. In the report presented by Mr. Alfred R. C. Selwyn in 1871, in connection with the geological exploration of the Dominion, he attributes the failures in gold mining in Nova Scotia to the following amongst other causes — the rash expen lituro of capital in the purchase of mining rights • A pratlcal i^uld.; f )r T mrlsts to tlio Gold Fields of Nova Scotia, by A. Heaflio- rington— Montreal, John Lovcll, l-<68. t For Interesting inform ition seo Gold Uommissiouor'a Reports for 1802 and 1863. THE GOLD MINES OF NOVA SCOTIA. 49T a' in the ns— The tralia as to deter- Cap d'or, iod in the discovery .'Estrange n a, letter herington r, 1858, lie He with race of the in miner- who told rhree years newsiiaper md panned xistence of gradually found that productive, mines, says of the gold nberofmen ge referred and the Under this wed to the lem. whole on suits being methods o^ in 1871, in e attributes ongst other ining rights ly A. Heatho- 18G2 and 1803. respecting the actual value of which nothing is known with certainty — the hasty and inconsiderate erection of machinery for mining and treating the ores before the quantity, or their probable value has been ascertained— the attempts frequently made to enhance the value of the stock by declaring dividends, sometimes paid out of capital, but often by means of a process known as " picking the eyes out of the mine," or in other words selecting all the rich material to secure a few high yields, which are far in excess of anything likely to be the future average, and the almost universal want of any appliances for saving pyrites and fine gold. With respect to the last cause professor Hind in his report on the Sherbrooke district says that atten. tion having been called to the escaped gold in the tailings of one of the mills at Waverley, portions were recrushed, and passed over amalgamating tables — the official return prp~?nting the following startling results. Two hundred and eighty eight tons of WAste from the damp gave 32 oz. 5 dwta 11 grs. ; sixty-three tons of waste from damp gave 13 oz. 12 dwt. 16 grs. Experiments with 675 tons of tailings made by an American, Mr. Ira Twist, Sherbrooke, resulted in 41 oz. of gold, and 70 lbs. of quicksilver, thus proving the value of the tailings of other mines. Jlr. Heatherington has produced a most complete and reliable table showing the yield of gold in Nova Scotia, from the first working of the gold mines, in 1860, to the close of the year 1872, compiled from corrected official records. The quantity produced in 1860, before the adoption of the sworn returns, he estimated at six thousand ounces. The total estimated and declared quantity of gold produced in the Province till the close of 1872 was 237,000 ounces, which, valued at four pounds sterling per ounce, was worth £948,000. It is estimated that twenty-one thousand ounces were stolen and not reported. The greatest difficulty is experienced in getting honest men to do the work. The evil is one which it is perhaps impossible entirely to counteract — gold being so easily concealed, and so readily marketable. The following table shows the declared quantities vince from 1862 to 1872 inclusive, with the districts respectively yielded : obta'n"id in the Pro- by which they were Native. From Quartz. Total. Oz. Oz. Oz. Sherbrooke . 8,000 57,946,379 57,984,379 Waverley ... 44,523,033 44,523,033 Renfrew ... 26,749,396 26,749,396 "Wine Harbor ... 20,491,317 20,491,317 Montague ... 13,423,744 13,423,744 Oldham ... 13,106,642 13,106,642 Tangier 208,350 10,241,002 10,449,352 Stormont 18,000 10,204,783 10,222,783 Uniacke ... 7,978,937 7,978,937 Caribou ... 2,329,150 2,329,150 Ovens 311,000 131,402 442,402 Unclassified . 656,771 1,171,001 1,727,772 Lawrence town 775 441,256 441,031 1,132,896 208,738,052 209,870,948 498 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. In what position, it may be asked, does NoTa Scoria stand, regarded as a gold-mining country as compared with Australia, where the business is carried on much more extensively? Here is the average o^ gold produced per ton of quartz, as furnished by Mr. Heatherington: Year. Victoria, Australia. 1864 . , ' 1865 . I 1,866 . Mean 1864-66 oz. 6 I f dwl. 10 11 ' 10 10 ffr. 6.9 17.4 16^2 19.2 Nova Scotia. oz. diet. y I 20 1 3 6 17, 13 1 6 13 Seeing that the yield in Nova Scotia is much larger than in Australift, how comes it that the business is carried on much more successfully in the latter country? One reason isT>ut with much clearness and force by Mr. Selwyn. According to the tables in the report of 1869 by the Commissioners of Mines in Nova Scotia, the total quantity of quartz crushed in that year in all the districts was 38,424 tons.' The number of mills employed was fifty-four. The number of stamps is not given, but if an average for eaoh mill of twelve stainpB be allowed the number of stamps will be 648. Now the quantity crushed pfer stamp head in twenty-four hours is stated' to be one ton. The average in Australia and California is ftom one and one and a quarter to two tonfe. ■ The quantity crushed in Nova Scotia ought surely to be quite as large, proportionately, as iri Australia. However, talcing it at one ton, and allowing 260 working days, the 648 stamps ought to crush 162,000 tons, or more »«a the work actually done. Then, if the element of labor be' tdken into accdunt, we find that the price/ per man in Victoria \i $2.00 to $3.60, and in Nova Scotia $1.25 to $1.50 a day. Thus Nota Scotia, both in regard to the average richness of the ore and the pried of labor, has decided advantages. It follows, there- fore, that the failure of gold mining operations in the Province is attribut- able to want of proper management. Mr. Selwyn, the Director of the Dominion Geological Survey, whp has inspected the process of working, is clearly of that opinion, and the facts which he officially adduces place the correctness of his opinion beyond doubt. Silver ore lias not been discovered in the Province in any considerable quantity. Mr. Campbell, of Dartmouth, was the first to discover its exist- ence in small quantity. He found it in the neighborhood of Grand Anse, where the Mackenzie river falls into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is dis- seminated tliroueh the drift of that stream in small grainy ^nd nuggets, and Mr. OainpbeU says that this appears to be the case alcing the greater part of its co'trse, for in many trials made several miles inland he found the silver as pli?ntifi 1 as he fpuhd it near the Gulf coast. He says that the sources from which tLis stream derives the silver embodied in its drift are, as far as h^ has been able tb discover, veins of a beautiful variety of spar,, closely resembling meerschaum, that abound in some parts of the district — some of the veins containing native silver, embedded in strings and nests of a softish grey substance of earthy texture resembling the cdi'bonatn of that metftl.' Dr. How says that silver in' small quantity is contained invariably in native gold, b6ibg shewn in every one of the analyses of that metal. ("; led as a jinesa is iroduced ji CHAPTER XXV. ralih, how 1 tlie latter r. Selwyn. rB of Mines in all the , fifty-four, ob mill of . Now the •d' to be one 1 one and a iht surely to taking it at ht to crush ind that the Ltia f 1.25 to 5 richntss of Hows, there- e 18 attribut- ector of the f working, is ;es place the considerable vcr its exist- GraJid Anse, ce. It is dis- ind nuggets, g the greater ittd he found says that the its drift are, iriety of spafr )f the district ngs and nests c£ti^bonat« of is contained iHlygtB of that The Fisheries of Nova Scotia — Their value — The Fisheries of Bri- tish Columbia — The necessity for a general inspection law — Number of Fishermen in the Province. In point ot importance and value the fisheries of Nova Scotia, take pre- cedence of all other mercantile interests. With a coast line of upwards of nine hundred miles, possessing harbors which in number and excellence are unrivalled, and with a population of hardy, skilful and stalwart men the business is prosecuted with energy and success. The value of the fisheries of the Province was in 1870, $4,019,424, in 1871, $6,570,739, and in 1872, $6,016,835. The following table shows the quantity, rate, and value of each descrip- tion offish in the last named year. Kinds op Fish. Salmon do (fresh in ice) do (smoked and in cans) Mackerel do Herring do (smoked) Alewives Cod Cod Tongues and Sounds... Pollack Hake Halibut Haddock Shad Lobsters Bass Trout Smelts Eels Oysters Fish Oil Fish, (for manure) Fish (for guano) Quantity. 3,529 554,905 74,620 115,631 50,500 168,513 34,302 11,712 625,249 308 24,099 89,214 4,643 40,000 3,867 2,422,058 10 13 443 1,016 200 414,419 700 118 brls. lbs. II brls. cans. brls. boxes. brls. qntls. oris. qntls. It brls. ■ fish, brls. cans. brls. II II II II gals, brls. tons. Ratb. $ cts. 18 00 12J 15 14 00 12 4 00 25 3 4 7 3 3 5 00 25 00 00 00 00 12 8 00 25 4 ?5 9 00 4 25 17 00 3 00 65 25 15 00 Value. $ 63,522 69,363 11,193 1,618,834 6.060 674;052 8,576 35,136 2,232,308 2,156 72,297 267,642 23,215 4,800 30,936 605,514 42 117 ■ 1,883 17,272 600 269,372- 175 1,770 6,016,835 It will be seen from the list that Cod stands first in value, next Mackerel and then Herring and Lobsters. With respect to the latter, the quantity taken is so large that m the event of no stringent law being adopted to enforce a close time this valuable crustacean will soon meet the fate of the oyster. 11 500 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. In order to show the relation in which Nova Scotia stands to the other Provinces of the Dominion as to the fi.slieries, we give the following table which shows the yield and value in Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario fur the yeas 1870, 1871 and 1872 : li^'.Jfrf" r : V t' "Ft .■.!..,., ocfococr^ lOinc^ooooiioxxi-- H 1 OS O X tC -. ro .^ ci c c: CI 1- e-i c; -r as c o ■* a « C'l ci ^2 o in m x t oo CO "^ a e4 M X o o 05 X 00 'O M X t- 1 •-- c L- cc 1- m 1 'I' 1.-; -^ X in Ci r^ a t^ ci •^ e- 1— ( CI in 05 _J rr') 1 ^ 1 !» 1 ^ yt tn w cri : rn rn rr. m ■ or; '/i m 03 ; ai CO CD '/i a" s .^ •t-^ ^ u u -^ u u t- : ^ L. U u u u u u r>i cr^ J2U5 I 0"J=X1 J3 : 0".a J2.Q : .0.0^ .2 a oj m t- 1- • rH CSOS 3 C t- 1- o i o CO •» CO s" a ■* f-; in t^ : -co com : CI — ,n o 05 X t- CO o 3 M X CO o l-^t-;_C 0_ : 't d r-l o ; »t in a -^ a> O" M — 1- «! -H i-H : i-'-H-of-t" : — ■'d'"-*~x'" ; X ci : t-''i>rco'"-i'' bo ■>*^ot-'* a>oet-rox cixoo-foix m-^coom ci^cxo co^x-HTj.^ ^cooxwt- OiM-^iot- t- CO l- d g V "*_x l.'^oo t-piMcooto ;odC£i't<0(M tooxsMin fH d •r* 3 t^ ©"t-"'— "in".') o M o c-1 o o CI M -x fo « >* X ci J5 o >-i CO in o « 00 Cco-^cioa'-int-xoe-i oj-^iooot- t-oiacoi-H rH in .s > r-t oj t-: X ■< OS ic o c^ o « CI CO -.t ^ ^"cr to rt — "• CI -Y a 5 m 1 »» 1 ^ 1 » ¥} 00 m ^ m CO 13 in OT n FA m n no *■' 00 ro !U ii" +- 7- "*- "u ^2 t- 1^ "C -«H ^ kt t-i £- tH L. t- . r-X!.0 J3 a-xijs^ a*.0,£3^ .0^.0 .a S •*3 a 00 X d lO ci CO X OS X d CO ^H d Ir- t- lO rH a s to o t- CO t- CO CO CI CJS CO t- ■* CI CO X o_ rH t^ t- OS .o rl^^ X^f^ l:-_CD__io t- CO Tf X x_ ■■h O" t-'x'cTco' t-''c-"t^co" os''tc~o'x'' co"c-~in'"rH~ rn 3 d o ■^ CJ M r- CI lO f-> i-H CJ 1— 1 53 X X CI lO — 1 ■* CI © X g -. CI d t- o -t CO S5S^5^ tf) d X O d "d X os_ CI 93 . X ■* in o n CO OS CO O d OS XJ V f-H o •«*• CI l- '*cc_t-_d__-*_"* in d__co__05^os 05 ■*_ '^_-t,f5,'^ CO s a^f(^^^lo"« ori-~co~cs'":o" •* — T codes' cTis'in rH^ cs^co^oTcT CO t— *' 2 "3 00 05 d O CI CO gcocot-os^ CO X CO cit- g rH_ Tjl rH ■5l CO rH X eo e^ c- > l-H to^o__"n rH CO r-l^ 1-t la 13 s a ^ rH 1 co" TO ^ ^ ^ m fn VI fn CO tn n oo m in n GO • xt f^ ,_■,«« ,.H >^ ^ 'u Ti "C • -*j ti fc- fc- : ■4-1 trf trf Li • (^ u bi u t-t 4^* o cj",a.Q^ : o-jajaxi i c^^ajs ; ^Xi^Xi oo ^ 1 oo OS -^oj o : o m to M . t- w ,-c ■* : t~ d CO CO i CD X CO OS : SSS2 a 'a s 00 CO -^ X ; in"co'~co"o" : ■-rc'5"in~t-~ ; Oi CO lo in "3 OS X CI • in d : d © .— 1 f-t CO •"* I r—t I f-t I 3 a . • tn . CO . • . . rn . • *H e i : iO b •o H cd i'O ■3 :.a bo OQ . • 01 03 :.a n £ : :i^ S, :b, ki ; -Ja ■>d ,i ef3 a •c a 5 a a 3 I It i'l t I S a" o a I. M H O THE FISlIEniES OF NOVA SCOTIA. 601 It will thus be seen that the value of last years yield, excluding llie Pro- vinces of British Columbiii and Manitoba — being $9,57(>,11G — shows an incrensfc of thirty- three per cent in two years. The fisheries of British Columbia are said to be very valuable, though yet undeveloped. In a report sent last year to the Minister of Public Works it is affirnud " that the fisheries of Columbia are probably the richest in the world." The fish consist mainly of whale, salmon, houliciin, ct)d, herring, linlibut, sardine, anchovy, haddoclc and oysters. Salmon is fine in quality, and very plentiful — particularly in the Fraser River. Hoidicans are small fish about the size of a sprat. They appear in the rivers on the const towards the end of April. Their run lasts about three weeks, during which time they can be captured in endless myriad.s. Eaten fresh they a. ':> most delicioust and most excellent when packed in a salted or smofced form. This fish produces oil abundartly, which is of a pure and excellent ([uality. The fish is caught with a pole of about ten feet in length, along which are ranged for five feet at the end, nails like the teeth of a comb, only about an inch and a half a part. The pole is thrust smartly into the water, and when brought up with a backward sweep of the hands, is rarely found without thvLe or four fish impaled on the nails. The reporter says that he has seen a Ciinoe filled with them in two Iiours by a couple of fishermen. .Manitoba abounds in white fish. " Few persons," bays Mr. W. T. Urqu- hart, in addressing the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, " in the Eastern portion of the Dominion have any adequate conception of the immense quiintity of white fish found in the lakes and rivers of the North Wobi.' The obstructions offered in our rivers to the ascent of Salmon and other fi'-h to the spawning ground has been a growing evil, which has much diminished the quantity of fish on our coast, but which is being nov re- moved by means of a system of inspection, which- it is to be hoped will shortly become more thorough and rigid than it is at present. Mr. W. H. Venning, the Inspector of Fisheries for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick has called av'jntion to the existing necessity for a general Inspection Law, by means 'which the various qualities of fish maybe guaranteed. As matters stand at present, inferior tish are much on the same level as fine iti the market, on account of t -aud in the brpnding. Here there is scope for wholesome legislation on a subject in which Nova Scotia is specially inter- ested, and it is to be hoped that some one of our Dominion members will take the matter up, and succeed in obtaining a measure by which the in- terests of both buyer and seller may be secured. Mr. Spencer T. Baird, the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fish- eries, addressed a letter to a gentleman in Maine, in November, 1872, in which he states the principal reasons for the diminution in the quantity of flsb on the New Figland coast; his remarks being equally applicable to Nova Scotia. " Fifty years ago," he says, " the streams and rivers of New England were almost blockaded at certain seasons by salmon, shad and alewives seeking to ascend to the spawning ground, but the erection of impassible dams has prevented their ascent, and the consequence has been a remr.rkable diminution in the quantity of fish." Mr. Baird points to the fact ^hat the quantity of dee|> sea fish is greatly dependent on the number of Shad, Alewives, &c., that a&cend the rivers, and to the obstructions re- ferred to he attributes in a great measure thefi.ilure of the New England fisl :>ries. m 502 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. The following table shows tho number of men employed in the fisheries of Nova Scotia, and the value of boats and fishing material, for the year 1872. Counties. Cumberland Colchester ,. Hants King's Annapolis Digby Yarmouth Bhelbiirne Queen's Lunenburg Halifax Pictou Antigbnish Gnysborough , Richmond Cape Breton Victoria..... Inverness '. ■ '. ' ;> . , Total.. No. of. Men. 19,097 Value of Bolts and fishing material. 250 25455. 180 10030 211 7500 325 7250 282 15496 1107 42900 1280 175082 1259 730 77863 21.56 89693 2460 263520 159 4810 675 '22510 1981 193., :3 • 1760 104860 1158 3',o67 1169 80950 1955 50580 1,211,178 i It win be seen that Halifax County has the greatest number of fishermen. Lunenburg is next. Guysborougb and Inverness are about equal, Yar- mouth and Shelburne boing very close on ^ach other; Cape Breton and Victoria counties being also very near as to numbers. The following statement is from the Census Returns tor 1670, which have not been published as we write — save the first volume, which gives no infor- mation as to the fisheries — but which was obtained in advance by the Depart- ment of Marine and Fisheries. It shows the number of men, vessels and boats employed, respectively, in the Proyincos of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 1870: , Ontario ..;.... Quebec. New Brunswick Nova Scotia...... Vessels. 20 110 139 7H) 979 Number.) Men. 73 801 5^7 6,469 Boats. Number. Men. 1,154 • 4,2T1 3,C03 7,941 2,307 6,929 4,776 11,855 6,880t 16,3:9 26)86T It will he observed that while both statements, which aire official^ pro-' feas to give the number of men employed in the fisheries in Novi Scotia— ^ the first dealing with the year 1872; and the other with 1870— there is a: difference in the numbers of 1773, an explanation of which may be found in THE FISHERIES OF NOVA SCOTIA. 503 2,30T 6,929 ■ 4,77^ 11,855 26,867 the fact that in the one case the number of actual fishermen may hare been given who follow no other calling, and in the other the number of persona who engage in fishing either as an exclusive or occasional business. In the year 1851 there were employed in the fisheries of Nova Scotia 10,394 men. According to the census of 1861 the number was 14,322. It is impossible, however, to say whether these numbers represent 6onoy?cfe fisher- men, or include persons w'lO were only occasionally engaged in the occupa- tion. In any case the ' iimbers show a large increase in the men employ, ed now as compe red with the periods specified. The census of 1861 shows 900 vessels and 8,816 boats engaged in the fisheries of the Province, aua the statement which has jnst been given from the return of 1870 exhibits only 710 vessels and 7,941 boats. The only solution of this strilting anomaly which occurs in the absence of details is, that a much larger class of vessels and boats may be now employ ' in th© fishing business— thus, difference of tonnage accounting for a smaller number of vessels accommodating a larger number of inen. \m CHAPTER XXV J. Populfttioii of Nova Scotia — NuiiilKjr of Houses in the Provmco- Religioii of the People — Tlicir origin. Tho population of Xova Scotia at the taking of tbc Census in 18C1 v. as 330,857; when taken in 1871 it was 387,800, showing an increase in ten years of 56,943. It will be observed by the following table that the popu- lations respectively of Cumberland, Colchester and Inverness are very nearly the same Population of 1801 and 1871 compared by Electoral Districts within their present limits, (1872.) } s ■I ' u, EtECTORAL Districts. Hants King's Annapolis Digby Yarmouth , Shelburne Queen's Lunenburg West Halifr.x., East Halifax., Cumberland... Colchester Pictou Antigonish Guysborough.. Inverness Victoria Cape Breton... Ricnmond "Totals of Nova Scotia 13,382,003 Territorifll Population. Supcrlicies in acres. 1861 17,460 1871 21, .301 753,000 519,000 18,731 21,510 837,000 16,753 18,121 653,000 14,751 17,037 471,000 15,440 18,550 607,000 10,668 12,417 681,900 9,365 10,554 714,000 19,632 23,834 2V8,282 32,699 37,008 1,063,750 16,092 •19,955 1,031,875 19,533 •23,518 837,000 20,045 23,331 720,496 28,785 32,114 353,520 14,871 16,61? 1,060,000 12,943 •16,555 886,800 19,907 23,415 767,000 9,64J 11,346 748,000 20,866 26,454 398,880 12,607 14,268 13,382,003 330,857 387,800 Repre- senta- tion. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 I 1 1 1 1 2 I 21 The number of inhabited houses in Nova Scotia in 1861 was 49,56?, and ■of vacant 1,918, in 1871 the numbers were, inhabited, 62,123; vacant, 2,351. The number of houses building in 1861 was 1,738 ; in 1871 only l,4ul ; showing that there was more enterprise in the building trade in the former year than in the latter, or in another aspect of the subject, that in 1871 the faith of persons accustomed to invest capital in houses is less in an adequate return than it tvas in 1861. While there is at present no in- crease of population which would warrant extreme briskness in the busi- ness of house building, yet the prospects of a considerable incKase of popu* THE POPULATION OF NOVA BCOTrA. 505 lation within a few years is decidedly better than it could have been tea years ago. The sexes are well balance 1 in the Province— the number of males being in 1871, 103,702, and of females 101,0i)8, showing only a balance of 21G in the entire Province in favor of the ladies. The number of widowers in the Province in 1871, was 4,102 ; of widows, 10,^30. The number of male children and unmarried males in the Province in 1871 was 130,533, whilst the number of female children and unmarried females was 124,084— the marked difference being doubtless owing to the emigration to the States of so many young women who are tempted by the high wages given to llilitK in that country— the proportion of female emi- grants being thus proved to be much larger than of the other sex. The followin|- table shows the census in 18(;i and 1871 respectively as to the leading Religious Denominations in the Province : — 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 I 1 1 1 1 2 I 21 1361. 1871. Baptists 55,3.36 73,430 Free Will and Free Christian Baptists.... 6,704 Roman Catholics 80,281 102,001 Church of England 47,744 55,124 Wesleyan Methodists 34,055 38,683 Presbyterians 88,519 103,539 Congregationalists 2,183 2,538 The following table shows the origin of the bulk of the people of the Province : — English 113,520 Kcotch 130,741 Irish 62,851 French 32,833 German 31,042 showing a decided preponderance of the Scotch element in Nova Scotia. Of the present population of the Province 14,316 have been born in Scot- land ; in Ireland, 7,558 ; in England, 4,008 ; in New Brunswick, 3,413 ; in Prince Edward Island, 3,210 ; in the United States, 2,239. Of the population of the Dominion the largest proportion are of French origin, the number being 1,082,940; of Irish, 846,414; English, 706,309. Scotch, 549,946; German, 202,991. There are only 1,115 Jews in the Dominion. liiii; ■I ' 1^ CIIAPTKll XXVII. Ailvfintapos ptijoyod liy Nova Scotia for MHiintiicturinj; ciitcrpriHe— Mttnutiicturing prof^rcss in Hrlj^iiini aixl Switzfriund — MouHurefl iieceHsiiry to I'lloct an iiicreiiHe ol' iH^piilaliijii — Atloinpt to efl- tablish a Cotton Factory in Halil'ax — Causes of past tiiilures— Tlie Machine trade of the Province — Notice of xeveral Faclo- vieH — The necessity for a Dry Dock at Halifax — Tlie Siiip- hiiilding trade and its orij^in — Tlie Mechanics of the Province — Mechanics' Institutes in Ontario — Present duty, CoNSiDKUiNO the advantnjr'r^ ^vhicll Xovn Scotia ofTLTa for industrial enter- prize, the mainifactiireg cf the Province ore few and on a limited scale. Tlio sister Province of New Brunswick, with a nnich smaller population and jiroportionately inferior in wealth and other resources, displays enterprize far in advance of this Province. It has a number of manufacturing com- panies with large capitals, and the industiicH of St. -John jjresent greater variety than those of Halifax, although tlie latter city hius greater wealth. To whatever causes the stagnation in Nova Scotia is attributable, they are not to be found in the absence of the main elements necessary to secure success. Its geographical position in relation to the markets of the world, its capacious and well sheltered harbors, its extensive shippis^, its mineral wealth, especially in coal and iron, and its water power, clearly mark it as a country most favorably adapted for manufactures. Ii has, indeed, been said that without a large Provincial population to consume what is produced, sue:; cannot be expected. The history of the progress of manufactures in other countries seem to prove the contrary. We can point to a country in Elurope having a comparatively small popu- lation, and which is surrounded by teeming populations of almost unri- valled skill and industry, but which succeeded, first on a small, but subse- quently on a more extensive scale, in competing with eminent success with the foremost of its rivals. We refer to Belgium, which has only an area of of eleven thousand two hundred and sixty-seven square miles, and a population — in 1870 — of 5,087,105, but the yearly commerce of this little kingdom is very large. The exports of Belgium, in 1871, to Great Britain alone, were in value £13,573,274, whilst all she took in return fromthe manu- facturing mistress of the world, in the same year, amounted in value only to £6,217,005. She exported sugar in that year to the value of £1,366,687 ; yet Halifax, with the West Indian raw sugar as open to it as any country in the world, and with a large Provincial consumption, cannot finish a sugar refinery on which considerable capital has already been expended, and of ■which a competent gentleman is ready to take charge, but prefers being de- pendent for its supply on other countries. The quantity of sugar imported during 1872 into Nova Scotia, liable to duty, was 6,491,463 lbs., valued at $352,190, besides a considerable quantity from the sister Provinces, of vrhich, not being subject to duty, no official record has been kept. THE MANIJKACTLRE8 OF NOVA SCOTIA. 607 "OnP of the most important natural productions of IJeljfiuni, and chief basis of iti industry," says tiio Slntevnan > Vear liuok for 1873, •' is coal, which is raised in ever increasing quantities." It is found in three of the nine provinces of which the kinp'om consists. The quantity exported in 1870 was ;t,l 14, 8,')0 tons. In coul, Xova Hcotia is probably c(iual to IWl- giuni, and surpasses it in the quality and extent of its iron ores, and if the manufacturing greatness of Great Hritain is to a large extent dependent on the sMpjjly of these two minerals, why should they not also prove the basis of industrial greatness in Nova .Scotia? These facts are mentioned not so much fcu' the p:irpose of comparing the manufacturing facilities of Belgium with those of Nova Scotia, but simply to show that a small coun- try with indomitable energy, in combination with the necessary elemen- tary advantages, may rival in skill and enterprise older states which have ))een long famous for the exient and excellence of their productions. Turning for a moment to Switzerland, we have further evidence of auc- C'ssful industrial com])etition on the part of a comparatively insignificant peonle. It has a population of about one-half that of IJelgium. Although, according to the census of 1870, one-half of its i)eoplo are sujiportod either -wholly or in part by agrici Iture, yet the manufactures of the liepnblic employed at the time mentioned two hundred and sixteen thousand four hundred and sixty-eight persons— the number of handicraftsmen being two hundred and forty-one thousand four hundred and twenty-five. The nion- ufacture of cotton goods occupies upwards of a million spindles, four thousand looms, and twenty thousand operatives, besides thirty-eight thousand hand-loom weavers. Is it not paradoxical that we have not in Nova Scotia, althovigh on the continent which produces the raw material in greai abundance, one cotton factory. In this department New Bruns- -wick has so far set us a successful example— a fact which furnishes an unanswerable argument in opposition to the opinion that a cotton mill would not be remunerative in this Province. If the cotton yarns pro- duced at the St. John factory compete so successfully with those produced in England as to sell largely in this Province, why could not cotton goods of equal comparative excellence be also produced 7 If we apply the argument derived from smallness of population against the estab- lishment of factories in Great Britain, or any other country pre- eminent for its manufactures, its futility will at once appear. In 1871 Great Britain exported produce to the value of £223,066,102 ster- ling, being to the value of £7 10s. 3d. sterling per head of the population) and of the quantity mentioned North America received £8,257,126 worth' proving the large extent to which the Parent State depends on the foreign market for her mercantile prosperity. It seems manifest, therefore, that if Nova Scotia is to attain to as much eminence, in proportion to her population and material resources, in general manufactures as she has attained in ship- building, she must look, like other spirited countries beyond her own borders for a market, not being scared by obstacles which othe. states, with no grea- , ter advantages, have encountered and overcome. Let it, moreover, be borne in mind that the Dominion itself presents a market in which no hostile tariffs are imposed, as well as a field for honorable rivalry. Its population is about three millions and a half— 3,485,761 at the last census— and it is admitted by leading authorities in all the Provinces that Nova Scotia, with the unrivalled advantages already specified, presents facilities for manu- -facturing enterprise which are not equalled in the sister Provinces. li !? i ! 503 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. 1 At present the United States, by their imposts, interpose a formldal)Ie barrier to the iutroductiou of our products, but it is satisfactory to kiow that there is a growing public opinion against the enormous existing tariff. The debt of that grjat country is being rapidly liquidated, and wlien reduced to a moderate sum a popular demand for a reduced tariff is certain to spring up, to which Congress will bo forced to listen. Increase of population is rather the result of m3rcantile prosperity thai; the cause of it. Before any considerable addition to the population of Nova Scotia can talic placo, there must of necessity be an increase in tiio demand for labor. Tho progress of the great cities of Europe and Amen. . illustrate the proposJlien — th'ir increase being at tiio rate of, and con- comitant with, their commercial and agricultural enterprige ; and in accordance witL -his law of city growth, neither Halifax nor any other town i:i the Province can become a great commercial emporium, unless as a pre-rcquisite it becomes tlie seat of manufacturing industry. There is ample cajjital in the Province to give it a fair industrial start, and a judi- cious and spirited commencement is all that is necessary to secure a a satisfac ory result. An attempt was made in 1S70 to establish a cotton '"actory in Halifax by an association, to which the writer acted as secretary. The capital required was one hundred thousand dollars, with power granted by chart(M- to increase it to three hundrid thousand. Only half the necessary sum could be raised, and the sciicmc consequently failed. As the arguments, however, then used in favour o;'a commenctnient reman now in full force they are respectfully subuiitted iu a conlcissd form, in the hope that a second, and a more successsul attempt may be soon made. 1. The production of a few facts from the ollicial trade returns of the Dorainio i for the fiscal year ending June tiiirtieth, I8G8, will satisfac- torily show the extent t j wliich cottons are in demand. In a general statement of the principal articles of British and foroiffn merchandize imported into the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario, it is stated that during the year just referred to, cottons to the value of !p5,T24,UiJ were imported, the amount of duty paid for those entered for home consumption being Sj)8U<3,893. The value of the cottons imported into Nova Scotia in the same year, was $1,504,080, the duty paid thereon being $1G4,659. The cotto is imported into New Brunswick in the same year amounted in value to 5455,273, the d\ity being $05,038. Thus tlie Dominion imported in that year cotton fabrics to the total value of $7,083,499 the duty paid thereon being $1,097,190. A simple calculation, based on the figures just given, shows that Nova Scotia imports cotton gjods to a much larger extent in proportion to population, than the three other Provinces specified. The pojjulation at the last census of Ontario and Quebec, was 2,507,000 ; of Nova Scotia. 330,000 ; and of New Bruns- wick, 252,000. Hence, while Ontario and Quebec imported, per head, cotton to tlie value oi $2.28, and New Brunswick, $1 80, the Nova Scotia mportations of the same article amounted to the large average per head of $4.55. The very great dilference thus exhibited is mainly accounted for by the fact that the three sister Provinces are to a certain extent supplied by their own factories, whilst Nova Scotia is entirely dependent, in that article, upon her importations. It therefore becomes the duty of every Nova Scotian, considering the remarkable industrial resources of his coun- try, to aisist in removing the reproach implied in the facts just adduced. OBSTRUCTIONS TO MANUFACTURES. 509 II. The cost of freight, insurance, &c., added to the duty of fifteen per cent, imposed upon imported cottons, renders the prospect of success encouraging, more especially, as in the conduct of the business, a factory established in Nova Scotia would labour under few, if any disadvantages, as compared with the other Provinces of British North America or the United States, where cotton mills are now in operation. It should, moreover, be borne in mind that about 2,000,000 yards of grey cottons are imported annu- ally into Halifax alone, and also about 4,000,000 yards of sail cloth, not to speak of a considerable quantity of cotton yarns— material which would require five times the producing power contemplated in the erection of the proposed factory. III. The want of appropriate employment for females in the Province is being felt and complained of. The establishment of cotton factories would tend to supply the desideratum, besides giving a stimulus to other branches of industry.* It must be admitted that attempts to carry on manufactures in the Province, by means of companies, have, on the whole, proved a failure, con- siderable loss having been sustained by the parties who had invested ■capital in them. Two causes have maiuly contributed to this result, namely, deficiency in the management, and insufficient capital to ensure an adequate return — the persons usually having the direction of the busim ss knowing little of its nature, or not having sufficient time to devote to it. As an instance where increased capital would give a more satisfactory return, we may refer to the boot and shoe factory at Amherst. Though the building has been constructed for the accommodation of a considerable number of workmen, yet they cannot be employed for want of the necessary funds for extending operations. In addition to the above causes there is another of importance in the fact that the towns of Nova Scotia have neglected to otter inducements for the establishment of factories, such as have been presented with great liberality elsewhere. Again, the burden of municipal taxation to which they are subjected is such that it would seem, in many cases, :ft8 if a repressive policy were intended. In Halifax the same stock is taxed year after year, and when a meeting was held this year (1873,) to obtain redress for this evil none could be bad. The truth seems to be that the mechanical interests of the Province ara not adequately represented at the centres of Government. Yet such are the natural advantages of the Province, that from the publication of the last census returns it will be seen considerable progress has been made in manufactures since 1S6J, when the previous census was taken. When blast furnaces are erected, and the richness of the iron ores in which the Province abounds is tested on a large scale, a rapid development of industries, which now only exist in embryo may be expected. The manufacture of machinery has within the last twenty years attained such gigantic proportions, and its use in every branch of industry has become so universal, that in all countries hiv'ing any claim to be regarded *Tlie St. John "Telegraph" Rays that the cotton Mill in the city is turning out three tliousand bundles of yarn or warps a wpolc, and that ioouih ar^ being put np, which, wlicn In full operation, will produce 12,000 yards of cotton cloth a week. We .congratulate Mr, Tarkes on his eotorprivp. HU 510 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. I ,1 as civilized, the various trades employed in its productioA and maintenance are now prosecuted. In Nova Scotia, the kinds of machinery principally in demand, and thertfore chiefly manufactured, are stationary engines, saw mill machinery, pumps for mining and other purposes, heating apparatus for buildings, and in connection with these, boilers, castings of various kinds, and the necessary forgings. In view of the limited demand, and the fact that the Provincial industries have to compete with the produc- tions of the United Stales (many of whose towns offer freedom from municipal taxation as a premium on the establishment of manufactures) and of Great Britain, the quantity and quality of the work produced are highly creditable to the skill and industry of our mechanics. In Halifax and the neighboring town of Dartmouth, there are eight machine shops, employing in their various dcparlments upwards of five hundred men. Of these the railway workshop, and that of Messrs. Cunnrd are devoted en- tirely to the repair of machinery belonging to their respective establish- ments. Of the others the Nova Scotia Iron Works are the largest, and have facilities for the execution of heavy work superior io any in the Province. These works are owned by Mr. Wm. Montgomery, and employ about one hundred men. The mill work by this firm is well known for excellence of design and workmanship, and numerous engines of various sizes are turned out yearly. When tenders were invited for the construc- tion of locomotives for the Intercolonial Railway, the proprietor con- tracted for ten of them, and notwithstanding the very great difiiculties iuioparable from tii« construction, in a Province where work of sucli complicated machines had never before been attempted, they have been overcome, and the contract is now hall completed. Mr. Moir's foundry is well known throughout the Province, and the proprietor is probably not surpassed in experience by any one in it. Messrs. Mc- Donald & Co. have a large and well appointed brass foundry, and make a speciality of steam and gas fittings, for which they find a brisk demand, in supplying ^vuich a large number of mechanics is employed. In Dart- mouth, Messrs. W. S. Symonds & Co. have a:i extensive foundry and machine shop. In addition to stoves, which they manufacture very largely, they build steam engines of great power and efficiency, that which drives the machinery of the famous Starr Factory being a favorable specimen. Mr. MacKay has also a machine shop and boiler shop in Dart- mouth, and as the establishment is situated close to the water's edge, the great facilities which it possesses for the execution of marine work are largely taken advantage of. There now remains to be noticed a factory un- equalled in the Dominion, and which is probably unsurpassed by any other of the same extent elsewhere— we refer to the Starr Manufacturing Co.'s works at Dartmouth, which proves how much can be done by enterprise. The Company was establislied in the year 1864, for the manufacture of "Acme Skates," patented by Jlr. John Forbes, the manager of the work, cut nails and any other articles of hardware which might offer prospective profit. In 18C8 it was deemed nessessary to extend the operations of the concern, when the present Joint Stock Company was formed and incorpo- rated, the capital stock of which has been increased from time to time till it is now two hundred thousand dollars, with power to increase it to five hundred thousand. The number of hands employed is about two hundred and fifty, and the aggregate wages paid average about one. hundred thou- MANUFACTURES IN DARTMOUin. 511 |- sand dollars a year. The establishment turns out about four hundred pairs of skates a day. Besides " acme skates" and cut nails, railway scabbard joints, which are fast superseding all other joints, are being manufactured by the Company, and also bolts and nuts for machine purposes. The greatest skill and ingenuity have been displayed in the selection and con- struction ot special machine tools, in the manufacture and repair of which a number of first-rate mechanics are constantly employed. This spirited Company contemplate erecting a rolling mill, for the manufacture of such iron as is used at the works, and also puddling furnaces. The works were at first driven wholly by water power from the Dartmouth lakes, but steam has bscn introduced, developing about one hundred and seventy-five horse- power, which renders the work independent of water when drought pre- vails. Such a work as this is of more substantial value to the Province than ten times the capital invested in stock, which provides no labor. The invcstmenl .s yielding remunerative dividends, and promises on further cxten.^ion to become still more profitafiie. A visit to the Dartmouth Ropewalk, of which Sfr. John F. Stairs is man- ager, and in which a large capital is invested, will convince any one of the settled determination of the Company, not only to supersede the necessity of importation of the articles they manufacture in point of quality, but of their ability to produce any quantity that may be required for the Province, and also to provide ample stock for exportation. The quantity of cordage required for the extensive shipping of Nova Scotia must be large, and the enterprise of the firm in manufacturing the article on the spot, in necessary variety, will doubtless meet with the reward to which, on b;isiues3 grounds, it is justly entitled. At Pictou Mr. W. H. Davis has excellent macliine woiks and a foundryi and may be said to be the father of engines and locomotives in the Pro- vince. Mr. Davis came to Nova Scotia in the year 1830, under the aus- pices of the General Mining Association, as lessee of the Iron Foundry at the Albion Mines— a position which he occupied with credit to himself and benefit to the Company for twenty-five years. The first pig iron manufac- tured in the Province was produced by him at the Albion Mines, and the first marine engine made in the Province was that of the steamer Richard Smith, plying between Pictou and New Glasgow, being constructed by Mr. Davis in 1833. He also made the first Provincial locomotive at the mines in 1839. Mr. Davis removed to Pictou in 1856, where he built the Iron Foundry, and where he now carries on a prosperous business, manufactur- ing steam engines, grist and saw mills. Mr. Daniel Chisholm Harness manufacturer. New Glasgow, has produ- ced work which has elicited commendation from the English Metropo- litan Press, and Mr. Alexander McLeod of the same town has just paten- led a new Churn both in the United States and the Dominion, which Promises to be a success. In Yarmouth Messrs. Johnson and Burrill have a large iron foundry and machine works. This establishment employs from seventy to a hun- dred men, and from its position, fronting the harbor, has unusual facilities for shipping its merchandise, and building and repairing steamers. Besides steam engines and mill work this firm manufactures ship's castings, stoves, ploughs, &c. In the manufacture of furniture we have establishments which will com- n,is 512 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. il. pnre favorably with those of any of the sister Provinces. The works of Gordon & Keith are a credit to the Province. The building is spacious and well ventilated, being well worthy of a visit, not only as exhibiting the various processes of furniture manufacture, but also as commanding from its upper story a magnificent view of the harbor and the adjoining country. A. !Ste])hen & Son have displayed enterprise by starting in the city a new factory, ia which furniture and woodenware in great variety are produced on an extensive scale. There are also in Halifax several extensive mills for the manufacture of 8a3hc;3, mouldings, &c. Of these the principal are owned by Messrs. H. G. Hill, James Dempster and J. C. Merlin, the first named gentleman having the li'.rgest e3tabli3hmeut of the kiud in the Dominion. The lumber busi- ness is also extensively carried on in the Province, many fine saw mills being scattered over the country, but as far as the production of the raw material is concerned the trade must speedily die a natural death. The advance of cultivation, the limited area of the Province, together with the immense yearly consumption, and the fact that a great proportion of the country has already been lumbered over, and that the axemen have now in many cases to fall back on the second growth, point inevitably to Buch a result. In our cities stone and brick are superseding wood for building purposes, and Nova iScotia supplies these materials in such unlimited abundance that as towns enlarge and forests decrease the rising generation may live to see the time when a wooden house will be an exception instead of, as at pre- sent, the rule in the towns of the Province. The manufacture of boots and shoes is being carried on with ever aug- menting spirit. The factories of George S. Yates & Co., and Robert Tayor, Halifax, are most extensive, and seem complete in every department, ha .ing all the modern appliances necessary to compete successfully with any kindred establishments on the continent. Tyler's Brush factory, now in successful operation at Halifax, is an addi- tional proof that we do not require to depend on other countries to the ex- tent that some people imagine. In this establishment brushes of all kinds are manufactured, which rival in excellence, and surpass in cheapness those imported. In manufacturing enterprise Truro takes precedence, in proportion to its population, of every other town in Nova Scotia. There are two shoe fac- t jries, a peg and last factory, a furniture factory, and a woollen factory, besides an extensive iron foundry and several tanneries in the town. In Amherst there is the well-known foundry of Mr. Robb, admirably managed by Mr. Spence, producing besides stoves.mill and ship castings, all descriptions of hollow ware. In tanning operations Mr. Logan and Mr. Campbell sustain the reputation of Pictou county, while in the thriving v'ilage of Shubenacadie, Mr. Fraser has recently built a substantial brick tannery adapted for the requirements of a growing business. Our mechanics are not deficient in inventive genius. Two of Messrs. Symonds' men s\re now completing a self-acting lock for connecting rail- way carriages, which will suiieraede the prosent clumsy and dangerous method. Another mechanic in one of the cily cooperages shows a model churn by which a vast deal of toil will be saved to our farmers' wives and THE SnirBUILDINO BUSINESS. 513 daughters, and E. L. Fennerty & Co. make a self-fastening skate which may rival the "Acme," now of world-wide reputation. yteam power is being applied in our manufactures to a larger extent than formerly. Mr. Sandford,\Halifax, uses it la marble polishing, and pro- duces tomb stones of polished granite of great beauty and durability. In, the tobacco factory of Taylor & McLauchlin great improvements have been recently effected in machinery and pressing apparatus, and Allen Brothers, coniectioners, have stenm power sufficient to produce confection- ery for the entire Province. The carriage factory of John M. DaWolfe, Halifax, is in active operation producing vehicles which, in elegance of design and superior finish, render importation unnecessary. If Nova Scotia can be charged with backwardness in some branches of manufacturing enterprise, it must not be forgotten that in one most impor- tant industry it excels in proportion to its population all the other Provin- ces of the Empire. The shipbuilding trade in all its branches is carried oa to an extent, which, considering the limited area of the Province, is cer- tainly extraordinary. During the year 1872 nearly fifty-three thousand tons were built throughout the Province, being over sixteen thousand tons more than were built in New Brunswick, and nearly twenty-eight thousand more than were built in Quebec and Ontario put together. That a small Province with a population of less than four hundred thousand souls should be able successfully to compete with Canada and the United States in a craft requiring much constructive skill, and the application in practice of scientifii; principles, is matter for wonder, cud is due to a variety of causes. Of these the most influential is the character of the population, which is essentially aquatic. The Nova Scotian of the country districts, half fishermen and half farmer, is as much accustomed to draw his harvests from the sea as from the land, and is equally at home on either. In many parts of the country the soil he cultivate? is not exactly of that kind which — " if tickled with a hoe will laugh with a harvest," and as he has gene- rally little inclination to bestow that fostering care which it requires, he often prefers to do the greater part of h'S ploughing on salt water. Where there are fishermen there must be fishing boats, and where timber is abund- ant and labour and money scarce these have to be constructed by the fish- erman himself, who thus adds the trade of a carpenter to his other vocations. When common schools were not, these farmer-fishermen mechanics had, not untVequently, very long heads, though so densely igno- rant on general subjects that in arguments touching the rotundity of tho earth and its motion round the sun, they had been known stoutly to uphold the ancient theories, yet in arithmetic they occasionally developed such a decided genius, as went a great deal further into decimal fractions than an enlightened stranger cared to follow. Adverse fortunes had at sundry times and in divers manners cast upon these shores excellent mechanics, who well understood the art of practical shipbuilding;, and while the hardy fishermen, instinctively wise in such matters, proved apt scholars, the abundance of suitable timber, and the number of suitable harbors so favored their plans that the trade in shipbuilding grew and flourished. As already hinted, another clement of success is the excellent quality of timber for shipbuilding parposes which is found in the Maritime Provin- 5U niSTOKY OF NOVA SCOTIA. mi ces. With tho exception of Pitch Pine and White Oak, every kind of wood 13 to be had in abundance, and of a quality which is notaurpasseJ, if equalled in any other country. Nova Scotia yessels are famous for their efficiency iu carrying dead weight cargoes, such as railway iron, &c— the timber of which they are constructed seeming to possess a buoyancy and elasticity which are wanting in ships built elsewhere. When to these advantages are added the comparatively low cost of imported material and of labor, enabling the Nova Scotian to build his vessel cheaper, while the moderate price of provisions enables him to sail her at a lower rate than his rivals, we hav'j stated the chief grounds for the superiority in shipbuilding and ship owning of this Province over the other Provinces of the Dominion. Of late years capital has been put into the business, which has therefore been conducted more systematically, but still from many a scarce heard-of harbor come scores of trim and finely modelled vessels, j)earing after their names the letters N.S. — a dark mystery to the natives of many a clime. The highest class given to Provincial built ships was formally seven years A I at English Lloyds, but last year, eight years, A I was granted to several vessels built at Halifax and Yarmouth, under special inspection. This shows progress, and also that the English underwriters are not slow to appreciate efforts in that direction.* At Halifax a dry dock capable of accommodating the largest class of vessels is a desideratum which, if supplied, would benefit not the capitalist only, but the entire Province. That Halifax is the most accessible port on this side of the Atlantic to steamers engaged on the principal routes between Europe and America is proved by the number that annually put in for coals, and the not infrequent occurrence of disabled steamers being towed in for repairs. At present when it is fou'id imperative that the bottom of a large steamship should be examined, Ihe work has to be done by the dangerous, troublesome, and unsatisfactory method of diving, which can only afford such temporary assistance as may enable the vessel to proceed lO New York, where tlie amplest facilities for repair are afforded. The mer J fact that extensive repairs cannot be executed is of itself sufTicient to deter the great steam shipping companies from making Halifax their termi- nus. The success of tho Marine slip at Dartmouth, wliich is capable of accommodating only the smaller class of vessels, should inspire capitalists with confidence. As the number of steamers which call at Halifax is increasing every year, the construction of such a dock is only a question of time, but as the problem whether Halifax can ever rival New York dci onds to no small extent for its solution on whether or not such a work is immediately undertaken — it is one which might well engage the att 'ntion of the various Governments, Imperial, Dominion, and Provincial, yuch a doc. would bo of utility not only to merchant vessels, but also to Her Maj'sty's ships of war and Government steamers, besides proving in all probability a financial success. The ground requisite for such an under- taking could now be procured at a moderate cost, but as the price of real * " Tho fact is now e.--tabi ^Ued — saya the lion . Wiu. Aiiiinnd in hia letli;r ivi''ro3seU In 18fiK, to tho Earl of Carnarvon — that tlio people of Nova .Scotia, to B.aj' noiiiing of boats and small craft that swarni ronnd our own shores, have more than a ton of register- ed shipping for every man, woman and child in the Province, having inlets thsin oiu- hundred and twenty years, in proportion to nMmbers. beaten every otlior uiarltlmc people on the toco of ihe glolw, those of the United States in luiiod." NOVA SCOTIAN MECHANICS. 515 estate ia steauilj' rising in Halifax, tho sum nccnssary to secure a suitable water lot will in a few years be enormous.* With a dry Jock and forges where heavy screw shafts could be forged and welded, and such additions ai could easily be made to the machine shops of the city, there ia no rea- son why Halifax, tho ocean terminus of a railway which will belt a Con- tinent, the Capital of a country abounding in coal and iron, with its favorable geographical position and its magnilicout horbor, should not speedily rival the principal American cities. The Nova Sootian mechanics are generally sober and industrious, which, together with a skilful use of tn.eir ha' Is and a readiness to adapt them- selves to circumstances, make their services much sought after in the neighbouring Republic. This Robinson-Crusoe like adaptability is charac- teristic of the American workman, who will fearlessly undertake and execute a piece of work which an English mechanic would imagine could not possibly be performed for want of the necessary appliances. It is true that the extreme accuracy and beauty of finish, which result from the division of labor in older nationalities, is to a certain extent wanting here, but in a now country tho non-essentials of ornament and luxury must yield to the essentials of efficiency and economy. Unfortunately the Nova Scotian mechanic does not occupy that position in his native Province to which he is justly entitled. That snobbish contempt for all employment, which involves soiling the fingers, and which is ever more tolerant of a moral than of a material smirch, prevails in the country to an extent which astonishes the natives of regions where juster ideas prevail. The workman himself, owing partly to the light in which he ia regarded, seems often ashamed of his business, and would rather be taken for anything but for what he is. This desire of mechanics and others engaged .a like occupations to appear outwardly what they are not, had its rise in the ignorant ideas of independency and gentility so ridiculously prevalent in the United States — a nondescript style of dress worn by American mechanics while at their work having probably somotlung to do with tho evil. In England tho dress of a machinist for example is distinctive, and he would no more think of being ashamed to be seen on the streets with his well fitting white duck pants, neat jacket and peaked cap, than a soldier would think of being ashamed of his uniform. IJut behold his American cousin after his day's labor is over, how he throws off his over- alls, and stands revealed in the last suit which was too shabby to wear at night, but which now looks shabbier in the light of day. Then if water be at all procurable, he proceeds to wash his face — happy is he who leaveth not a high water mark to show where that tide came in — and then having donned a doubtful looking paper collar, and by great exoriions made him- self look like a small shopkeeper just gone into bankruptcy, he goes forth * The high price whicli bulldiiif; lota li.ivo .ittaincd in Halifax, within tho last fow years, iind which is certain ovideuco either o£ present prosixTity or of fivitli iu tho future of tlic city, has boon mainly nwinij to tlie remarkable energy and enterprise o£ Colonel B. H. HornKby, a, gentleman belongini^ to tlio Southern State?, who arrived in Halifax seven years a^o, witli little money in hia pocket, but endowed by nature wltli considerable brains. In Dartmouth and tho neighborhood of Ilalifax, he has loft his mark, and gentlemen who have long sneerod at hla profitable spoculationa have been constrained *^o imitate liis example — lieuce the value of real estate at this date as com- pared with what it was seven years ago. 616 niSTORT OP NOVA SCOTIA. Ill i:^[.i i,' ■ • i 1. 11, - r rejoicing that he is not one of the dirty and downtrodden millions of Europe. Two boys leave one of our public schooln where each hn.i received the sauie general education— one enters a hardware store, and in due time developes into a salesman of knives, scissors, &c, the other also engages in the hardware business, but it is to exercise his brain and mutde in th construction of steam engines. Both have received the same ad- vantages—both probably receive the same salary, yet while the first is considered a high caste man, and is privileged accordingly, the other is a I'uriah hardly tolerated In good society. There is unhappily an almost total lack of fellowship and esprit de corps among the members of the various trades employed in the Province. Not only is that principle of organization, which has been pushed to an almo.'^i. dangerous extent elsewhere, unappreciated here, but even in regard ' y Mechanics' Institutes, Reading Rooms and Provident Societies we are far behind, not these times only, but also the times of many years ago, when a Mechanics' Institute flourished in Halifax. Our admirable educational system brings instruction within the reach of the rising generation, but, as we have stated elsewhere, there is a class of schools which we have not got, though we have abundance of the class of pupils for which they are intended. We refer to evening schools, where young men who are employed during the day may improve themselves in any branch of educa- tion in which they are deficient, or where they may pursue those teclinical btudies necessary to their advancement in the mechanical arts. A few Mechanics Institutes with good Libraries and classes, where knowledge of the kind indicated could be had for a reasonable sum, would be an incalcu- lable boon to the Province. Other societies are kept up with spirit, then why not have associations which would draw fellow laborers closer together,^ diffuse useful information, and put our skilled workmen on the same level with those of (dder and more densely populated cities. The mechanics of the Province are quite competent to provide for tlu'ir own elevation in knowledge without any extraneous aid whatever. If a spirited movement for the formation of Mechanics Institutes were begun by the mechanics themselves, governmental aid might be obtained. In Dartmouth there is a Mechauics Institute which was established as eailj as 1840, and which was incorporated in 1862. It cjnsists of ninety- four members, and owns a commodious building, but makes little use of it. It has neither reading room nor library, and the building is now rented as a school room. The town is growing in commercial and industrial impor- tance, and it is to be hoped that new life will be speedily infused into the organization. In the Province of Ontario there are few towns without a Mechanics' Institute. In Toronto the Evening Classes are largely attended. The pupils receive instruction in book-keeping and >enmanship, arithmetic and mathematics, architectural and mcchani'^al drawing — ornamental drawing, French, English grammar and composition, chemistry, and elocution. The evening schools connected with the Institutes now form a section of the governmental educational department, and receive annual grants of money equal to twice the amnunt which they expend in the purchase of books — other than works of fiction — and in maintaining evening classes, with the restriction that the amount so granted to any Institute is not to exceed four hundrel dollars. Tl.ese important advantages have mechanics' institutes. 517 been recently granted to the Institutes, as the result of united application t(> the Legistaturo. To show the spirit with whicli the country towns support the Institutes let us take for example, Dundas with a population, of about three thousant souls. The Institute of that town has a library containing fifteen hundred volumes, a reading room having thirtj'-five jjeriodicals and newspapers, eighteen pupils in the ornnmental drawing class ; and books were bought for the year 1871, ia accordance with the conditions of the Legislative grant, to the value of two hundred dollars. In Ontario there is also an Association of the Institutes of the Province representatives from which meet annually to discuss questions connected with their conduct. They are thus a power in the Dominion. During the year 1872 they secured grants of money from the Local Legislature to the aggregate amount of eleven thousand four hundred dollars. • We have our admirable Young Men's Christian Association, Early Closing Association, our city library open to all ; but mechanics are a class requiring distinctive organizations for their own special benefit, and sui- table for their special wants. There ought to be a Mechanics' Institute in Halifax, Truro, Pictou, New Glasgow, AntifjOnishjt Sidney, Amherst, Yarmouth and other towns in the Province, and an Association of the Mechanics' Institutes of Nova Scotia- representatives from the afiSliated institutes meeting annually and helping forward the good work. If Nova Scotia is deficient in educational provision for mechanics it is well provided for, at least so far as Halifax is concerned, in regard to a thorough mercantile education, by the Institution under the efficient direc- tion of Messrs. Eaton and Frasee. Mechanics i vindicate the dignity of your calling— unite and organize, and let Nova Scotia stand in the front rank for the character of her working men in sobriety, industry, skill and evening class educational advantages. ♦ For thU information we are indebted to Wm. Edward?, Esq., of Toronto, t There was a Mechanics' Institute in Antigonish in 1842. CONCLUSION. h N /"( Mi h- 'I 1^1 \^: To the important snbioct of Immigration, as boai'ing sj^ecially oil the intorosts of Nova Scotia, the writer had intended to devoto tbo closirg chapter of his book, but his matter has already extended bo far beyond the prescribed limits, that ho is obliged to forego the execution of his purpose, but hopes to produce another work on the Province in which the topic — including n dissertation on the Immigration System of the United States — will be full}' discussed, and whose pages may be enlivened by pen and ink sketches of some of the public men of the Dominion. In the meantime, the writer will conclude by giving a short extract from an official Report which ho addressed to the Honorable Dr. Tupper seven years ago, and which was embodied in the Governmeiit Immigi*ation Blue Book for that year, showing that the scheme now recommended by Mr. Arch, of England, as the result of his investigations in Canada, is, in one of its cardinal provisions, radically the same as that recommended for Nova Scotia by the writer as adapted for the requirements of " agriculturists arriving in the Province without capital" : — " May I be normitted to throw out a few hints as to some considerations that might prove practically useful in taking further legislative action in the matter of immigration ? " It is conceded that the Province is really in want of the importation of suitable immigrants, and that if a large coun- try like the United States has its gigantic machinery in motion, so Nova Scotia, possessing according to its size greater resources than any other country on the face of the globe, and its population presenting a remarkable contrast in point of number to what its unrivalled capabilities war- m^.si IMMKIRATION. 519 rant, ought also to have its little inachino in as porfoct order JKs any larger one. " Then the question jiresonts itself, wlmt is necessary to sociiro the class of settlers to which I have advorted ? I woxild just endeavor to urge the absolute necessity of clear- ing say five aci-cs of each of the hundred acre Io^m into which the block ricleotcd has been subdivided * Lot a house bo also erected on each, and a road made to the harbor. Then the Province will have something to present as an induce- ment to new settlers. The respective lots should bo sold i n easy terms, payable by instalments. One such sale to an energetic honest man will prove ultimately more profitable to the Province, than the disposal of two or three thousand acres to a mere speculator. I am satisfied that the experi- ment would prove so successful as to induce the Government to carry out the scheme on a largo scale. My observation of the country has led me to the firm conviction, that no other kind of inducement can prove equally successful. On the assumption that the experiment is opposed, its opponents must at all events acknowledge that it cannot by any possi- bility accrue in ultimate pecuniary loss to the country. I anticipate objections on the ground of the action of both the United States and Canada, which could be easily combated, my arguments being based on the difference of circum tances obtaining in Nova Scotia as compared with her powerful neighbors." Colonel Lawrio has occu: lonally offered, through the press, pi'actical suggest! ns of value in regard to immigration, and this 3'ear — 1873 — manifested a commeiidible degree of libe- rality and public spirit by taking measures for the introduc- tion into the Pro' ic of a considerable number of children, who are likely to remain permanently in the country, and who, therefore, will contribute materially to its prospcilty. * Land rei . ved for Immigrants. I r APPENDIX. A. From the report of the In lian branch of the Department of the Secretary of State for the Provinces, IHTl : Ind'ans in Nova Scotia. Annapolis tiS Colchester 31 Cumberland 44 Digby 224 Guysborough 48 Halifax Ill Hants 1(!8 Kings 01 Lunenburg 50 Pictou 125 Queens 8.3 Shelburne 28 Antigonish 93 Yarmouth 20 Cape Breton 188 Inverness 138 Richmond 78 Victoria GO Total. .1,326 IN B. The Engli.sh Commissioners say (page 519): " Purchns, in his Pilgrims, speaking of the plantations the hiiglish had made in 1002 — three years be- fore the epoch tixed by the French as the beginning of their attempts to settle in Acadia — gives a very particular description of tiiat country, then called by the Indians Mawooshen, and takes notice of the rivers Pemaquid and Sagadahock, and the towns of Penobscot, Kennebeck and Maragrove, from which names the English call the inhabitants of these towns and rivers Pemaquid, Sagadahock, Penobscot, and Kennebeck Indians ; and L'Escar- bot— an author much relied upon by the French Commissaries in their me- morial — in h'j Histoire de la Nouvelle France, published in 1G09, speaks of ■'w stvckal parts belonging to the E.iglishin Acadia at his arrival in that Qtry in the year 1600." Letter of Queen Anne to Francis Nipholson: Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. Whereas, our good brother the most Christian King, liath, at our desire, released from imprisonment on board his galleys, such of his subjects as were detained there on account of their professing the Protestant religion. We being willing to show by some mark of i>Lir favor towards his subjects how kind we take his coiu- plian'',e therein, have, therefore, thought fit hereby to signify our will and pleasure to you, that you permit such of them as have any lands or tene- ments in the places under our Government in Acadia and Newfoundland, that have been, or are to be yielded to us by vu-tue of the late treaty or peace, and are willing to continue our subjects, to retain and enjoy their said lands and tenements without any molestation, as fully and freely as other our subjects do or may possess their lands or estates, or to sell the same, if they shall rather choose to remove elsewhere. Ana for so doing, this shall be your warrant, and so we bid you heartily farewell. Given at APPENDIX. 521 cur court at Kensington, the 23rd day of Juno, 1713, and in the 12th year of our reign. By Ilir Majesty's command. (Signed,) Dartmouth. Superscribed. To our trusty and WLll-boloved Francis Nicliolson, Esnuire, Governor of cur Province of Nova Heotia or Acadia, and General ami Uommander-in- chief of our forces in our said Province, and in Ncwtoundlaiid in America. D. 83 28 93 20 188 138 78 CO . 1,326 h article of the treaty made at Utrecht between Anne, " Iritain, and Louis XI V, King of France, is as follows : c Queen The 14th i «f Great Hri " It is expressly provided tliat in all the said places and colonies to Iw yielded and restored by tiie most Christian King in pursuance of this treaty, tlie subjects of the said King may have liberty to remove tlicmselves with- in a year to any otlier place, as they sliall think fit, together with all their moveable effects. But those who arc willing to remain there, and to be sub- ject to the Kingdom of Great Britain, are to enjoy the free exercise of their religion according to the usuage of the Church of Rome, as far as tlie laws of Great Britain do allow the same." Treaty signed 11th April, 1713. E. Governor Cornwallis concluded his address to the French deputies as follows : — I know that the troops put yon to some inconvenience at present, as your custom is to leave the houses where they are. It is a matter of neces- sity which you must endure for some time. That will pass away, and you will find it to your advantarjc. In the meantime you can rely upon our word, that as soon as tranquility is re-established in the Province, we sha'l give passports to all those who shall ask for them. We have already given you to understand, that no government permits those who withdraw from it to carry with them their effects. Therefore, to give such permission would be directly contrary to the de- claration of^ His Majesty published here on our arrival. You ask for Mr. Girard to assist Mr. Cheuvreuil in the department of Mines. As it is impossible for a priest to serve the whole department, and as it is our wish tuat you should have the full enjoyment of your religion, and as there is no probability that one will be allowed to come from the French colonies at present, we consent to allow Mr. Girard to officiate among yon. He has given us his word of honor not to leave the Province without our permission. F. Governor Ilopson in addressing the Lords of Trade oa the 23rd July, 1753, said:— Your Lordships may, perhaps, be somewhat surprised that I should have anything to apprehend from so inconsiderable and contemptible a body, when I have the command of so many troops ; but exclusive of the difficulty that attends marching after Indians in a country like this, 1 as- sure your Lordships that tlic troops are so divided in keeping the different posts of Chignecto, Annapolis Royal, Mines, Pisiquid, Lunenburg, Dart- mouth, George's Island, Fort Sackville and Halifax, that I have not at pre- sent a detachment to spare from hence even upon tlie most urgent occasion. In fact what we call an Indian war here is no other than a pretence for the french to commit hostilities upon His Majesty's subjects. 522 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. G. The analyses of coal which follow have been obtained from the varioii.:> Toal (Companies whose designations arc respectively attached to them. BLOCK HOUSE MINE COAL ANALYSIS. An average S'lmple from cargo steamer Zoe : 2J4lb3. wjight of charg3. 3.40 Time of cirbonizing. 0,500 feet of gas from ton 2,240 lbs. standard yield. 10,310 feet of gas from ton 2,240 lbs. raa.ximnm yield. 40 bushels coke. 1,460 b.:. coke. 16.53 Illuminating ]io\ver gas at standard yield. 2,940 No. feet purified per busbel hydrate of lime. ANALYSIS. Volatile matter Fixed carbon Ash 39 57.5 3.5 100 LITTLE GLACE BAY STEAM AND GAS COALS. I l! AD-MIUALTY REPORT. Duncan, at Ilalifa.v, ICth April, 18G7. Sir, — I am directed by the Vice-Admlral Commanding in Chief to for- ward to you the enclosed copy of a Report on the quality of the Little Glace Bay Coal, the result of its trial in the Navy Yard, and to convey to you his permission to publish it, should you wish to do so. — I am, Sir, your obedient servant, (Signed,) Henry P. Buenan, Secretary. Edwahd p. Arciibold, Esq., Treasurer of the Glace Bay Mining Company. If .M.S. Duncan, Halifax, 12th April, 1867. Sir, — In compliance with your directions to try the two samples of Little Glace Bay, Cape Breton, coals, sent to the Dock Yard with a view to as- certain their steaming capabilities, I have the honor to report that they have had a fair trial in the boiler of the small portable engine attached to the lathe-room, and also on board the Charger gunboat. I have tested them in the usual way for carbon, with the following results : m ■i' I description of coal. Percent age of SMOKE. Clinker. 6.79 4.27 Ash. Harbor Vein 2.12 1.3 Dark brown, and consider Hub Vein able in quimtity. Light brown, and consider able in quantity. 2nd. — Both of these coals light np quickly, raise steam fast, burn well and clearly, and generate steam well. They produce a very moderate amount of clinker and ash. The smoke of the " Harbour Vein " is con- siderably more than that of the " Hub Vein," and much darker. The de- posit of sjot is considerable in both kinds. APPENDIX. 623 3r(l.— Tested for carbon, the Hdrbor Vein contains 83.5 per cent., and the Hub Vein 80.9 jier cent. ; and therefore in this respect are nearly equal to Welsh; which is further corroborated by the fact that the average daily expenditure of Welsh and Glace Boy coal, in the lathe-room boiler, is as nearly as possible alike, the Harbor Vein having slightly the advan- tage of the Hub Vein. 4th. — Not having the necessarv apparatus, 1 am unable to test these coals for sulphur, but, judging by the manner in which they buru, and other observations, I should say the quantity they contain is very small. 5th. — Being similar in their nature to North of England coal, they are not liable to make much small nor dust ; and would therefore stand the ctfects of transhipment without much deterioration. Gth. — I am therefore of opinion that both of these coals are well suited for the use of H.M. ships, jiarticulaiiy if treated in the same way as or- dered by the Admiralty respecting English coal, viz: mi.vud with Welsh in proper proportions. — I have, &c., (Signed,) Edward 0. Urichton Chief Engineer. Captain Gibson, H.M.S. Duncun. TESTS OF THE HUB VEIN COAL BY GAS LIGHT COMPANIES. ity. .^ ad consider- i, burn well 'y moderate 'ein" is con- Tbe de- 100 lb. Charges. Philadeli)hia Gas Works, Jlarch 29th, 18G5. Weight of charge . . . 400 Ijjs. Gas made .... 1800 feet. " AvcHage make per pound . 4 50 100 '' " Coke made .... bifph, " Coke made, in lbs. . . . 2:>0 lbs. Illuminating power, 5 feet Batwing, 15 IC-ICO Candle. 2 charges, each 200 lbs. Product Providence Gas Light Cuiupaay. 400 lbs., average 3| hours. 10G40 feet of gas per ton, or 4J ft. per lb. 33 3-6 bush, coke, merchantable, and 2 bush nut and slack or dust. ■I 6-11 gns. tar, 7 4 9 gns. volatile oil, 16 gns. ammonia water. 48 retorts, 6 charges, 4 hours each 19 chaldrons, 22 busliels coke New York Gas Light Company. . 40710 lbs. at 4.64 to the lb. 1342 lbs. to tlie ton^ coke. Candle power, 13. All Provincial coals arc worked under high heats. Another trial showed G. B. coal to yield 38 bushels coke to the ton,, weighing 1436 lbs., 15 candles, 9000 feet gas. Charleston Gas Light Company. 100 lb. charges. Weight of charge, 700 lbs. Gas made, 3170 fjet. Average per lb., 4 53-100 feet. Coke made in lbs., 448. Coke in bus'iels, 10 1.2. Illuminating power, 5 feet Batwing, 16 candles. Gas Works, Halifa.K, N.S., 4!h Ma;-, 1867. Jamks a. Morkn, Esq , Ptesident Gluce Jiay Mining Compan)/. Dear Sir, — Having requested my opinion of your Hub Vein Coal for gas purposes. I have much pleasure in stating, that having used about 1500 tons of it last year, 1 find the average yield of gas to be about 8,500 cubic feet per ton. The illuminating power, as tested by Wright's Improved Photometer, is equal to 16 candles. The coke is also of good quality, and I have no doubt but the coal will improve as the workings are increased in depth. I am, yours truly, (Signed,) GEonciE Buist, Manager. 524 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. The Glacb Bay Mining Company have much pleasure in calling atten- tion to the above Report, and tests of their coals, and beg to intimate that the price at the Mmes, at Little Glace Bay. Cape Preton, is fix^d for the present at one dollar and seventy-five rents per ton, free on ooaru, for Bcreened coal ; and one dollar per ton for slack. Halifax, N.S., May 21«/, 1872. Jambs A. Mores, Presidint. Edwahd p. ARCH30LD, Treasurer. mi^ LABORATORY OF KLVG'S COLLEGE, WINDSOR, N.S. ABSTRACT OP TlEPORT ON SYDNEY COAL. To Messrs Canard & Morrow, Agents to the General Mining Association, Halifax. January 10th, 1871. Gentlemen, — I beg to report to you on the examination I have just com- pleted for the General Mining Association of London, according to direc- tions from R. H. Brown, Esq., Manager at the Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. The sample of Coal forwarded to me, last month, was in two boxes, each 8 inches square by 3 feet long, which contained a full section of the Main Seam 6 feet high, half the length being in each box. Pieces were taken throughout, so that a fair average of the quality of the whole seam might be procured. The Coal arrived in excellent condition after a long sea voyage ana about 50 miles of land carriage, of which 45 were by rail. I obtained the following results on analysis : — Compositive of average samples of the whole seam of Coal. < i» I. m-, .! <.-.' By Medium Coking. Moisture 3.04 Volatile combustible matter.. 31.14 Fixed carbon G1.50 Ash (reddish browp) 4.32 100.00 Coke percent 65.82 Theoretical evaporative power 8.43 lb. By Fast Cokino. Total volatile matters 37.48 Coke 62.52 100.00 Theoretical evaporative power. 7. 98 lb. By Slow Coking. Total volatile matters 29.70 Coke 70.30 100.00 Theoretical tvaporative power 9.061b. Mean coke per cent 6G.21 .Mean theoretical evaporative power 8.49 lb. Ash per ctnt 4.32 Sulphur percent 1.24 .Specific gravity of average samples 1.30 Calculated weight of one cubic foot, unbroken 81.10 lb. " " " " " broken 54.50 1b. Space for one ton, 2240 lb., on stowage (" Economic Weight," 41.10 cubic feet. 1871. APPENDIX. Composition of Ash. Sand and clay , 29.57 Pero.xide of iron 51.33 Alumina 4.84 Sulphate of lime 10.98 Lime 3.05 Magnesia "1 Phosphoric acid, decided traces I ^ Manganese, traces , o.-d Chlorine, traces J 100.00 525 GAS RETURNS, By G. Buist, Esq., Manager of Halifax Gas Works, (On samples furnished by me.) "Gas (average of 4 tests) per ton of 22 10 lb 8200 cubic feet ^oke " '< « " 1295 lb., of good quality. lUuminatmg power of gas (average of 6 tests).8 candles. The details above given explain the well jjnown high favor in which this ■coal has been held for upwards of forty years for domestic use, and also for steam producing by those who have employed it carefully. Hknry How, Professor of Chemistry. ...37.48 ...62.52 100.00 REPORT AS TO ALBION MINES COAL. Laboratory of King's College, Windsor, N.S., March 30th, 1869. Sm,— I have carefully examined at your request, for the General Mining Association, the contenls of two barrels of coals, marlced respectively : Foord Pit, Main Seam ; and Cage Pit, Deep Seam, Albion Mines— with the following results. Coal from Foord Pit, Main Seam, an average of the large sample of this Coal sent gave : Moisture 1,48 Volatile combustible matter 24.28 Fixed carbon 66.50 | „. „, „ , Ash , 7.74 1 ^'^•2* Coke. 100.00 Sulphur 55 Specific g.ravity 1.294 Average of 3 specimens. Tlieoretical evaporative power 9.13 lb. Coal from Cage Pit, Deep Seam, an average of the large sample sent gave ; — Moisture 2. .54 Volatile combustible matter 20.46 Fixed carbon 68.50 )-- „„ , Ash 8.50 1 "•'^'^ ''"'^e- 100.00 II II 526 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. Sulphur 1.6!) Sjjecific gravity 1.345 Average of 3 specimeDa. Theoretical evaporative power 9,41 lb. (Signed,) HENRY HOW, D.C.L. Prqfesaor of Chemistry. J. Hudson, Esq., Agent O. M. A., Albion Mines, Fictou, If. S. ijr Gas Works, Halifax, 3th June, 1871. Experiments made with coal, from the Foord Pit, Albion Mines : Gas per ton of 2240 lbs. = 7,800 cubic feet. Illuminating power •= 16 candles. (Joke, of very good quality. Geo. Bdist, Manager, INTERNATIONAL COAL CO. The following is an analysis of the coal made by the Manhattan Gas Light Company, New York, January 10th, 1871. Maximum yield per ton 10,106 feet Illuminating power at 9500 feet 1703 candles. Coke per ton 38 bushels. Coke per ton 1440 lbs. Gas purified by one bushel of lime 2314 feet. Ash in coal 5.0 per cent. Volatile matter 38.5 " Fixed carbon 56.5 " 100.00 ANALYSIS OF ACADIA STEAM COAL. Water 2.30 Volatile Combustible matter.14.36 Sul])hur -78 Fixed Carbon 7700 Mineral matter 5'56 T!:e ash, which is almoit white, contains considerable alumina, soae silica, potassa, soda, and a trace of lime. 1 cubic yard weighs 2?07-5 pounds avoirdupois. Burns freely without leaving clinker. r F.i7 GOWRIE MINE, O.B. No. L ABBAY OrnCE AND LABORATOniKS. 32 Bedford Row, Halifax, 26th Feb'y, 1863. Sample irarked " 1st and 2nd" Bands of Coal Seam, in bulk, from the A PPENDIX. 527 S^coSs^- ^"^' ^"P^'^'-'^ton, sent by the Hon. Thomas D. Archi-* Moisture. 1-80 Hydro-carbonaceous matter 2708 Sulphur 3 ,„ '^"'^^ 67-70 A » Oir 100-00 Ash, 7-25 per cent, contains : Peroxide of Iron 52''>oo Alumina iv.r^.^ Sulphur m^^ oMj' traces ^'"c* 30-212 J, ,. 100000 livaporative power 8-53 W. T. RiCKAP-D. F.C.S. No. 2. ASSAY OFFICE AKD LABORATORIES. 32 Bedford Row, Halifax, 26th Feb'y, 1863. Sample marked "2" Band of Coal Seam from Gowrie Min^ r. i, Capel^reton, sent by the Hon. Thomas D. Archibald, contains!'-. '^^*'^' , Moisture j.-g Hydro-carbonaceous matter 37-27 Sulphur 1.07 ^°ke ::::::;;::::::6o-5J Ac J IK . 100-00 Asn, 4-15 per cent. SpeciKc gravity j.33 W. T. RiCKARD, F.C.S. SCHOONER POND, C.B. This colliery, connected with Sydney Harbor by a branch of fhp r I0 and Cape Breton Railway, is in course of development Glasgow Miles Londoii" -^'^ '°''^''' °^ ""' '°"^ °''*^' ""^ '^' ^°^^^ School of Carbon 78.10. Hydrogen 5.48. Oxygen &c. ) ^ „ Nitrogen J"' *"^- Sulphur 2.49. Water 2.67. Ash 3.45. 100.00 Volatile matter 35.43 Coke 61.90 Water 2 67 100:00 SPRING HILL MINING COMPANY, CUMBERLAND COUNTY. TESTIMONIALS. Extracts from Reports of Messrs. Woodhouse and Jcffcock, Mminn Enaim-er^ London and Derby, G. B. (January 2, 1860) ' The Coal Field which we have carefully examined, and which is the sub- ject of this Report, is situate in the county of Cumberland, in the Provinco 528 HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA. f ' 11'; of Nova ppotia. II is generally described as the " Siiringhill" Coal Field, but in reatit)' it is a part of the great Cumberland Coal Field. Tlie first, or ui)per, seam we found to be a bed of remarkably good coal, presenting a very clean, compact appearance in its immediate outcrop. The section of the scam of coal was as follows : Ft. In. Top coal (very good for roof) 1 Dirt 1 Good coal 11 13 ti This may be considered a very valuable seam of coal. The quality of the coal is exceedingly good. It may be described as a bituminous coal, but of dense and strong structure. About 45 yards below the main seam we proved (by sinking a small ehafi) another seam of about 3 feet thick, of good workable coal, haviug the same dip and angle as the main seam. At a probable depth of 150 yards there appears to be a third seam of good coal, about two feet thick. This has been partially worked and proved to be very good, considering it was near thebassit. The main seam of coal at Springhill will afford suitable fuel for smelting the iron— not containing an excess of ash, and free from sulphur. The physical characteristics of the coal are, its cubical clean fracture, freedom from " bat" and dirt, often associated in the seam, and a density and strength of structure which suits either for coking, or, we think, for use raw in the Blast Furnace. Extracts Jrom Report in 1869, of the late Mr. Ed. Hartley, F.G.S., of the Canadian Geological Survey. The samples of coal examined were taken from the main seam of the Springhill coal field. An examination of the external character of this coa'i shows it to be a bituminous coal of a moderately compact texture, and no't inclined to fall to pieces, or slack. Four samples were taken for analvsis, I. and II. were two averages of the whole box ; III. was a picked sample of the best (most compact) coal ; and IV. was a specimen of the coal showing a shaly texture. The results of proximate analysis in the laboratory were as follows : I. 11. III. IV. Hygrcscopic Moisture 1.21 .98 .58 1.28 Volatile combustible matter 33.08 35.52 33.27 35.0G Fixed carbon 61.49 59.42 63.85 58.53 Ash (perfectly white) 4.22 4.08 2.30 4.53 100.00 100.00 lOO.OO 100.00 Coke 65.71 63.50 06.15 63.06 Total amount of sulphur in coal, 0.225 per cent. RESERVE COLLIERY, C.B. The following analysis was made by the Manhattan Gas Li^'ht Company, New York : Charge, 2240 lbs. Time 3 h. 50 m. Maximum yield per ton 9950 ft. Illuminating power at 9500 feet 13.17 candles. Coke, perton,38 bushels 1520 lbs. Gas purified by one bushel lime 2380 ft. r* ?*«■ t , New York. London. Volatile matter 34.50 36.26 Fixed carbon 59.50 Coke 62.74 Ash 6.00 Water 1.00 100.00 100.00 Coal Field, y good coal, utcrop. The In. 6 e qualit}' of linous coal, ing a small oal, having ird seam of fvorked and For smelting Iphur. The ire, freedom density and ink, for use '.G.S., of the seam of the of this coa'i ire, and not for analysis, ed sample of !oal showing oratory were IV. 1.28 35.G6 58.53 4.53 00.00 63.06 it Company, indies. s. jndon. ..36.26 ..62.74 1.00 100.00 APPENDIX. 529 i „ , London. Carbon Y7 4" Hydrogen '.".'.'.".'..".".*.".!."."."!."."'.".".!".'.'." 5.'47 Oxygen and Nitrogen 930 Sulphur .' 2 47 yater i;oo Ash 4.35 3 2 a o a = 1 s ^ g 3 o « •SI 05 d - a, tc i- .5 -a s « 3 tio cc a >» .S o "O ^ -o - g. I I- a 100.00 (M 3 c>q 10 1- ■* 00 00 00 t- «> -<««• ^ lO ■M -M — fC ri ri —I o o -t in n :c> co _ ■* O O —1 03 t- o -^i* 00 —I rH m e» ^ O O — o « 00 C5 O 03 -* 00 in rt O— '0CS)-.0-fo-X)O X M T-1 ■« 00 '-^ o ro — c-i ■.£> 03 n — ' -.3 ■* O C-T 00 03 C«l O t- 1X1 03 03 i-( >o o c^i » •M o; n CO — • o 00 o t- 03 in ' ■* M o ; '.n t- ro ; CO M Mi : T)i 00 00 n '£ "* OC rt E-i O a* CO r-1 tJ* n . 1^ t^ 00 -t m 03 C5 : 00 ■r' — t "t "o X 30 • 00 CO ^ r-( O KT .-^ .00 CP 00 o 00 o ^- -t o o f- r o X in o c^ ri o o CO 1- M rl CO 1" CO OOOO"— )--^03OC^O !•- t- O X i.-J I- CO O 03 CI — I CO CO i:> X CO r- ^1 03 ^H r-H eq CO m -+ •* >* M in o o X 03 o cq t- o in — o 03 03 •J t— C — < CI 03 '.O 03 -H CO CI 1-^ CO ■f r-< d O CJ m f-1 o ir-. O CO Cl —I -o co 03 r-l . t- :0 O in . c^ X C'T CO : -^ —I CO o • CI c CO o CO t- CO X 03 CO Cl X ^ 2 o in O jCO c: 'm fj^ 'fy in I in X X CO -< Si CO f/J en fl m rri-e.2 ^ ..C .— 03 OJ . w g 'a •S q" '^ -^ S § 5 a '^ 5 ^M li. 73 72 7: 7J iBS ii-s 2 a .H-c TS-a-a^TOD-i MX) 4) a 0) •" aj .'a -0 a - a i. a . ^^'C u 3 1=) :5 s aa -^:a -a 'a t3 ■«) a! H Sr, 3 - o - - a . 43 '£ 2 • o o ci ^ ' t J 'i 530 HISTORY OP NOVA SCOTIA. H. List of cabiuand steerage passengers per S.S. Oily of Boston booked at Halifax :— Cabin— Mr. \V. E. Potter, Captain Wm. Forbes, (surveyor to Frencii Moyds), Jlr. Lecoute, Master F. R. Robinson, Master Tiios. H. Robinson, Caiit. Hamilton, 05th Ri'gt., Mr. James Allan, (of J. Allan & Co), Mr. A. K. UouU, (of DdiiU & Miller), Mr. Kdward Hilling, (of Anderson, Billing & Co.,) Mrs. Kiedl il, child and infant, Mr. John 15. Young, (J.K., Mr. Baker, lady, 2 clrldren and nurse, Mrs. Orange and child, Mr. John Barron (of P. Power & Co.,) Mr. Waller Barron, Mr. 1'. Power, inn., Capt. Sterling, lady, infant and nurse, Mr. Jas. \. Paint, Mi.ss F. Paint, Mr. G. A. Knox, (of Kuox k Jordan), Mr. Wm. Murray, (of Burns k Murray.) Mr. C. H. Silver, rof W. & C. Silver,) E. J. Kenny, (of T. & E. Kenny,) Mr. John Thomson, (of Thomson & Co.,) Mr. H. C. Moroy, (Deputy-assistant Superintendent of Stores.) Lieut. Orange and female servant, Lieut. Kildahi and female servant, .Mr. John D. Purdy, Mr. Chas. Fisher, Mr. T. R. Montgomery, Mr. W. Parks, (of St. John.) Steerage— Jose])h Holland, Jas. Graves, Mary E. Erskine, Pat. Cassidy, George Rowling, Jas. McCam and wife, servant of Lieut. Orange, servant of Lieut. Kildahi. ADDENDA. The following paragniph was omitted at page 430 : Mr. LeVesconte having, towards the close of l«tj-t, retired from the otfice of Financial Secretary, was succeeded by Mr. James SIcDonald, member for Pictou County — an appointment which proved an important accession to the administrative capacity and strength of the Government. In the contents of Chapter XXI, the reader will find "Death of Dr. Forrester" referring to the following notice which was accidentally omitted from the place indicated. On the twentieth of April, 18G9, Alexander Forrester, D.D., Superinten- dent of Education for Nova Scotia from 18.")") to 1804, and Princii>al of the Provincial Normal College, died at New York, whither he had gone for medical advice. He was a native of Scotland, and was born in the year 1805, receiving his education at the University of Edinburgh. He was licensed in 1831, and ordained in 1833. Be was first settled as a pastor in the parish of Sorbie, in Wigtonshire, where he remained until the disruption of the Free Church from the Establishment in 1843. Dr. Forrester was the only member of the Presbytery to which he belonged, who seceded from the Establislied Church. Soon after the disruption he was called to the charge of the Free Middle Church, Paisle}, where he remained four years, until 1>'48, when he visited Nova Scotia as a deputy of the Fret Church. Here he '•eniaine;). and siip])lied St. John's Church, Halifax, for tliree months, during which time he organized classes which became the nucleus of th'^ Free Church College. He received a call trom St. John's Church, of ■which he accepted. In November, 1848, the Free Churoh College was opened, and Dr. Forrester gave lectures on natural l^ience. The congrega- tion of St. John's built Chalmer's Church, which was opened by him in 1855, and in which he ministered when he accLj 'odthe position of Superin- tendent of Eduoation and Principal of the Normal Provincial College. During his pastorate he had vitited Prince Edward Island, New L mswick. Cape Breton, Bermuda and Nowfoundland, preaching and delivering leciures, infusing a portion of his own enthusiasm into the public mind. From the time of Dr. Forrester's arrival in the Province till his death he 1 vbored most assiduously and successfully in elevating the educational status of the Province, and in diffusing the religion of Christ. " The Teacher's Text Book" remains as a durable monument to his masculine intellect, aud de- votion to the great cause of popular education. The teachers of the Province did well to mark their esteem and gratitude for services rendered not only to the cause of education, but especially to the teaching profession, by erecting a mi-morial stone in Truro, to one whose reputation will brighten, and whose services will be more highly appreciated, as time ad- vances. on booked at )r to French H. Robinson, ; Co), Mr. A. ion, Hilling & K., Mr. Bafcer, Barron (of P. iterliiig, lady, A. Knox, (of C. S. Silver, ihn Thomson, iperintfndent hi and female itgomery, Mr. Pat. Cassidy, auge, servant rom the office jald, member ,ant accession nt. Death of Dr. itally omitted ., Superinten- 'incipal of the had gone for 1 in the year •gh. He was as a pastor in the disruption rester was the seceded from called to the ;d four years, Free Church, ax, for three e the nucleus n's Church, of College was rhe congrega- led by him in )n of rfuperin- )llege. During mswick, C.ipe ring leci-ures, d. From the ith he 1 vbored onal status of reacher's Text iUect, aud de- jachers of the vices rendered ng profession, nutation will 1, as time ad- INDEX. A. ACADIANS, FUENCH. Page Port Royal Acadians take temporary oath of allegiance to Queen Ann 69 First indications of hostility lo the Eng- lish G9 Petition the French Governor of Canada to remove them 70 Queen Ann's letter to Gen. Nicholson concerning (see apnendix C) 72 Their obligation to take the oath of alle- giance implied in Treaty of Utrecht... 73 Their decision not to remove to Cape Breton 74 Determination to remain loyal to France 74 Report of Col. Veitch, concerning 75 Vacillating policy of British and French Government concerning 7G Refuse to swearallegiance to George 1st 77 Letters of Gen. Philips, concerning 78 Continued hostility of, to Britain 78 Governor Philips insists on their taking the oath 79 British Government contemplates their removal 8" They take the oath conditionally 84 Governor Philips induces to take the oath unconditionally 85 Neutrality of, at the siege of Annapolis. 87 Policy of Governor Mascarene towards.. 94 Failure of Marin to induce them to join him 94 Council of Governor Cornwallis deter- mine to compel them to take the oath 103 Their petitions to Gov. Cornwallis, and his replies 104 Are deceived by Jos. De la Loutre 107 Petition to Gov. Cornwallis for leave to retire from the province 109 His address to them 109 Governor Hopson's account of Ill Petition Governor Hopson for liberty to leave with their property 112 Compelled to defend Fort Beausejour against the English 114 Pardoned on the ground that they acted under compulsion 115 Review of their conduct, and treatment by the Government 116 Abbe Reynolds' account of 117 Inaccuracy of his statements concerning 120 hast memorial of, to Government 125 Attempts to induce them to swear alle- giance 125 Imprisonmen t of their depu ties 126 Pago Council resolve to remove them 126 Instructions given to British Coraunvn- ders, concerning 127 Col. Winslow's address to, at Grand Pre 128 Embarkation of. Burning of their home- stead 129 Subsequent history of 130 A number of, sent to Massachusetts. Their return 151 Agrioola, Letters of, circumstances under which they were written 221 Their object, plan, and arrangement 222 Speech of the Governor, concerning 223 Their instrumentality in forming agri- cultural societies 224 Discovery of the author, as related by himseli, (see Young) 224 Aguicultuhal Society, Provincial. For- mation of. 224 Object:- and first meeting of 227 Aix LA CiiAPELLE, treaty of. Dissatisfaction in New England, concerning 96 Albion Mines Railway, between and load- ing ground completed 330 Alden, John, his vessel plundered by In- dians 82 Alexander, Sir Wm. Obtains a grant of Nova Scotia from James the First 49 Despatches a vessel with emigrants. They land at St. John's, Nfld 50 Forms a company and attacks French Settlements 50 Transfers Nova Scotia (except Pore Royal) to Claude de la "rour 52 Algonquin Race, The 17 Allan Line op Steamers, origin of 329 Alline, Rev. Henry. His character i97 Allison, Charles, appointed commis- sioner of Mines 455 Almon, M. B, appointed a Councillor 352 Offers to resign his seat 366 America, discovery of. 13 Aborigines of 16 Amubrst, Major-General. In command at the capture of Louisburg, 1758 141 Anderson, Rev. W. J. His publication of the Duke of Kent's letters 192 Anderson, John H, appointed a Rail- way Cimmissioner 377 Appointed Receiver-General 407 Annand, Hon. Wm. Elected member for Halifax County 308 Again returned member for Halifax 347 ^ # 532 INDEX. u n Page His resulutlons bearing on endowment of ColleuiiUe institutionn 349 Appointed Financial yecretary 407 Opposes (juebec scheme of confedera- tion 442 Denounces Mr. Miller for his secession from the Anti-confederate Party 44G Delegated to London to oppose confed- eration 44G Speech ou the reply to the Governor's address 453 Ajipointed Provincial Treasurer 453 Delegated to Britain to urge repeal of the Union 4G0 On shipping of Nova Scotia 514 Annapolis. Brcuillaii's report of C5 Ravaged by New Englanders under Col. Church 65 Weak state of the defences of in 1743.... 8»i Attacked by the French and Indians... 87 Defences of, strengthened hy .Mascarene 94 Expulsion of the Acadians from 129 State of the Townships of, in 17G0 150 The Town of, in 1782, as «k'scribed by Mr. Baiky '. 170 Abbcthnot Commodore, Lieutenant Gov- ernor of Nova Scotia 1G4 Archibald S. G. W. His connection with the Agricultural Society 224 Represents Dalhousie College at a C(m- ference with the Governors of Kings.. 239 Opinion regarding the quit rents 2G8 Speech on the rejection by the Council of a Bill for an increased duty on Brandy 271 Thanks by the House of Assembly 274 Re-elected Speaker in 1830 277 Complimented by LordGoderich for his services 289 Address to the Jury at the trial of Jos. Howe 304 Letters addressed to, by John Young (Agricola) 308 Biogrnphj- of. 331 His special talent as a pleader 33G Archibald, A. G. Appointed Attorney- General 407 Delegated to London to confer with the General Mining Association 397 Advocates confederation at Halifa.x -137 Speaks on the Union of the provinces... 441 Delegated to London to advocate con- federation 446 AsoAL, Cai't. Attacks Penobscot and des- troys Port Royal - 47 Arichat. Exports of Fish in 1 834 300 Armstrong Lawrskcb. Appointed Lieut.- Governor of Nova Scotia 84 His policy towords the Acadians 84 Commits suicide 84 Arthur, H. R. H. Prince. His visit to Ha- lifax 466 Assembly, Hoitsb of. Page Chief Justice Belcher points out the ne- cessity of. 133 The people petition the Home Govern- ment to establish 135 Constitution, of agreed upon by the council 13G Governor Lawrence's efforts to prevent its formation 137 Constitution as amended. Its first meet- ing 138 Members resolve to give their services without cliarge 139 Votes a monument and public funeral to Governor Lawrence 145 Dissolution of the House and alteration ot the representation 150 Re-assembling of. Treaty with the In- dians 151 Letter of the Massachusetts Legislature to, intercepted by the Governor 158 Pass an act jirohibiting export of arms and ammunition 1G2 Act to rejieal certain laws against Ro- man Catholics 172 Considers accusation against Judges Deschamjis and Branton 173 Speech of Major Barclay 173 Dissolved by Governor Wen'worth J7tJ Votes 500 guineas for a star for the Duke of Kent 209 Grants £ 500 per annum to Sir John Wtntworth 209 Aiijiointment of C. Tonge as Speaker vetced by Governor Wentwortli 209 Meets in consequence of war with United States 211 Votes 8ui)[ilies for defence 211 Votes one thousand pounds for a piece of plate to Sir John Sherbrooke 210 Earl of Dalhousie's address to 220 Votes fifteen hundred pounds for a Pub- lic School in Halifax 2,S5 Establishes a College at Windsor 235 Favors a permanent grant to Pictou academy 237 Act to establish Grammar Schools throughout the province 238 Neglect of Lord Dalhousie's suggestion to survey the province 245 Votes him a star and sword wnich he refuses 246 Efforts towards a repeal of the Roman Catholic Test Act 257 Communication of Sir Jas. Kempt to, on the road system ofthe province 259 Grants fifteen thousand pounds towards the Dartmouth canal 201 John C. Barry censtired by, and finally expelled 2t2 Representative of the Press reprimanded by 264 Petitions the Homo Government fir-i ob- tains full control of the customs 2C5 out the nc- )ine Govcrn- pon by the 8 to prevent is lirst meet- leir services iblic funeral nd alteration with iho In- ! Legislature ivcrnor port of arms I agiiinst Ko- ,inst Judges Page 133 135 13G 137 138 139 145 150 151 158 162 172 1 173 173 n'worth 170 stur for the 200 1 to Sir John 209 as Speaker itworth 209 ir witli United 211 211 H for a piece rbrooke 219 i to 220 ids for a Pub- 233 23") 237 238 245 246 257 259 261 2t2 264 ndsor nt to Pictou :nar Schools e 's suggestion oixl wiiich he if the Roman Kcmiit to, on rovinco mnds towards Y, and finally s reprimanded iment r.r-i ob- customs 2C5 lNt»ix. 533 Page Petitions His Majesty to relinquish his Quit Rents 2' Disputes with Council coneertiing duty on Urandy 209 Speech of Mr. Juh" Younsr 209 Dissolveil by Hon. .'.lichiieT Wallace 275 Precedents bearing on dispute with Council 270 Sir Peregrine Maitland's sjieech at the opening of the Ilou;-> '>77 Debate on the Urandy Hill. Themoasure passed by the Council 278 Di'bate on the jiroposed in rease of the Judges' salaries 289 Debate on the Currency (piestion 290 Debate on His M:ije.-tv's reply to the petition concerning Quit Rents 292 Speech of the Solicitor Cieneral 293 MV. S'owart's resflutiun advocating public deliberations of the Council... 293 Governor Sir C. Campbell's speech at the opening of the House 298 Debate on His Majesty's message con- cerning Quit Rents 'V19 Efforts to o]ien additional i)orts of entry thwarted by Council lO Act passed forencoiiriigement of Gram- mar and Common Schools 306 Dissolved in consequence of its term hav- ingexiiired 307 Recommends that the jiroceedings of the Council be open to the jinblic 309 D.bate on the reidy of the Council 310 Open rupture with the Council 314 Present an address to the throne jtray- ing that the constitution of the Coun- cil be amended 315 Debate on the motion to limit duration of Parliament to four years 318 Remarks by Mr, \Vm. Voung 318 Address the Home Government on sub- ject of the Fisheries 319 Despatch from Home Government con- cerning 'egality of fees to Judges . 320 Speech of Lieut-Governor announcing accession of Queen Victoria 321 Receipt of despatches concerning abuses of the Council .322 Exclusive control of revenues vested in 322 Regrets the action of the Governor in scJccfing Councillors 3?4 Sudden termination (>f the session 324 Re-opening of the House. Address to I'er Majesty on the appointment of Coun- cillors 324 Speech of Sir Colin Campbell at the close of session 325 Votes men and money against the threat- ened invusion of New Brunswick 326 Sends delegation to Britain to urge cer- tain reforms 326 Determines to obtain responsible Gov- ernm nt for the Province 340 Page Resolutio I want of confidence in the Exc(iili\ii Council 340 Dispute with the (Jovernor 341 Petitions Her MaJt'Sty for removal nf GovernorSir Colin CamiibcU 341 Majority of reformers in the House in 1840 347 Amends the Educational Act 348 Amends the Criminal Code 348 Takes measures to ameliorate condition of the Indians 348 Vi ited by Charks Dickens 348 Debate on the subject of Collegi:ite en- dowments 349 Speed' f Lord Falkland in oijcning the IIouso 353 Debate on the reply to theadv ImperiaHiovernnu'ut 309 Receivcb re[iort of the Commission to consolidate and simplify the laws 3T1 Debates on the iCeciproc / Treaty with the United Stotes .'. 371) Debate on the Prohibitory Liquor Bill... 380 Overthrow of the Government 395 Controversy with the Coal Mining Asso- ciation 396 Resignation of Solicitor-General Wilkins 400 Apjtoints Stewart Campbell Sji^aker.... 401 Declared ineligibility of several members 403 Resignation of the Government 407 Speech of Governor Earl of Mulgrave... 401 Speech of General Doyle referring to Union of Maritime Provinces 424 Debate on tlie Education Bill. Speech of Dr. Tupper 424 Debate on Confederation 445 Debate on the Un'an of the Maritime Provinces 431 Great Debate on Dr. Topper's resolutions advocating union of all the jirovinces 443 Passes Dr. Tupper's resolutious by a majority of 12 votes 446 Debate on the reply to the address of Governor Sir F. Williams 449 Prorogation of the House. Speech of the Lieut-Governor 455 Votes five hundred pounds to the widow of Dr. J. W. Slayter 457. r -684 INDEX. ! I it. II > I i i Page Di'baie on the imtilinn to Her Mivjos'y nuiiinst (!() if.dL'nition 4r)9 Atkins, T. H. His iicci)Miit of theaettk'meiit oMIiilifiixfFoot Note) 114 Extrnit from his " Rise and progn-ss of llic (Iliiiich of K'mland in lliu Uritisli North AmiM'iciin I'roviiices." 109 Baii.kv, IiKv. .(acob, l!iogm]iliical i>k<-lcli of. Jlis account of siittcrings of LuyalistH .. 105 Baiici.ay, Ma.ioh. His Hpcccii In the House of Asst-nihly on the charges brought against (he Judges 173 Bauhy, John C Censured by tlie House of Assemblv 201 Committed to prison. Rixdectud for yholburne 264 J3AZAi.GErrE,('oi/)Nii!i,. Administrator of (lo- vcrnmenton death of Sir Jolin Harvey 375 BKADnvsHiN. liaiiifzav retires to 9G BBAnsRjoiiH FoitT. Strengthened l)y the French Ill British (ioverninent resolve to reduce. Attacked by the Ih-itish 114 Capitulation of. Named Foi\ Cumber- land 115 Bkeciieu, Rkv. Da. His eloq lent discourse on Tem[ierance 282 Bklciiek, J. A member of Governor I^aw- rence's Council 125 Declares G'lvertiment of tlie Province illegal williout an Asseml)iy 133 His views concurred in by the Hoiue Government 134 Succeeds General Lawrence as Governor 148 His Report to the Imperial Govririment on the stale of the Province 14? j Bki.l, Hugh. A biographical sketch of 337 Pre-iides at a meeting in Halifa.x concern- ing Colletre Endowment 349 Appointed Alember of the reform admi- nistration 367 BiNNEY, Jonathan. A Member of the first House of Assrmblv 139 Sketch of his public "life 139 Prcsecuted for mismanagement of public funds 103 Govcrnov Franklin's defence of 103 Black, Rev. Willia.m. Sketch of his life... 295 Blanchahd, Hiuam. Appointed Attorney- General 455 Resigns his position. Elected member for Invernes.^ 45R Blackadar, Hpgh W. Biographical sketch of 423 Buss, Wm. B. Hi: special talent as a pleader. CFoot note.) 336 BLowpms, ('iriEif Justice. Retires after tiiirty-five years' seivxe 288 Sketch of his life 363 BoBCAWEN, AnMiRAL. Co-operates with Governor Lawrence in removing the Acadians 120 Scils from Halifax to attack Louisbourg 141 Page IJO.HT0N, Mash. (Mti/.ens grant assistance to ('hjirh's de la Tour 54 E.\pedition (irepared at, to attack Nova So jtia 01 Second i-xpedition jails from, to attii''k Port Iloyal 08 Expedition sails from, to attack Louis- bourg 89 Consternation of tlie citizens at niiws of Duke .'VAnville's expediu n 92 Toasts at a celebration of tlieSiu^of Liberiv in 158 Ho.^Tov, S.fi. City of, Loss of, (See Ap- pendix II.; 407 BoULAiiDEiiiK .M. deLa, obtaiu.- II.l island which now bears his name 75 BoniiNOT Mit., m >v('s reply to Gov. Sir F. Williams' adiln' s 449 BlIKDA TilKATi' of :>'.' Bkenton Jas., Judge of Suiire.ae Coiirl. Accused of maladministration 173 Breyntonn, IIev. Dr., Rector of j^l. Paul's, Halifax. His kiudiiess towards the Loyalists 109 Bright" John, taring.: case of Nova Scotia b''fore the iJritish House of Commons... 402 Bro.mi.ey Walter. His efforts in th> cause of educ'tion 241) BnotiLLAN, Governci' of Nova Scotia 05 Harbors pirates who prey on the trade of Massachusetts 05 His report of the wealth of the inhabit- ants of Anna|)olis Go Bnot iiXAN M. Si. OviDE DE. Appointed Gov- ernor of Cape Hreion 79 Brown Richard. His estimate of the coal areas of Cape Breton 4S4 Buckingham DaKE OF. His dnnatch refer- ring to the petition of the Assembly 400 BuLKr.EY Capt. Editor of the first Nova Scotia 1 newspaper 113 Sketch of his life. (Note) 163 BuBKE Right IIev. Dr. Edmu.no. Biographi- cal sketch of 250 C Cabot Joh.v. Patent granted to by Henry Seventh , 13 Cabot Sebastian. His birth-place. First expedition 14 His supposed discovery of Nova Scotia... 14 His second and third voyages. Discovers the variations of the ciaupass I'l His death 15 Campbell Sir Colin, Governor of Nova Scotia. His arrival at H ilifax 294 First speech at the opening of iho House. 298 His instructions respecuug the Council... 3-"! Shows partiality in selecting councillors. 3U His dispute with the House respecting re- sponsible Government 340 The Assembly petition for his removal,... 341 His departure. Personal popularity of... 34G ^1 INDEX. 635 ; assUtniice ttack Nova u, to attai'k tack l-DuU- 1 at ai!\v-< of ■II tlie S )iis of ', (See Ap- a? Ha island ) Gov. Sir F. Page 54 01 08 89 02 158 70 , 419 ,V,| ire.iie Court. itioii 173 of hi. Paul's, towanlri the ..,, 109 Nova Scotia f Uommons... 402 in til' cause 213 Scotia 05 1 the trade of 05 the inhabit- Co pointed Gov- 79 e of the coal 4S1 ipatch refer- . Assembly 400 he first Nova 113 103 >. Biographi- 250 1 to by Henry -place. First >fova Scotia... cs. Discovers ass 13 14 14 15 15 rnor of Nova ilifax 294 of llio House. 293 the Gouricil... 3-1 g councillors. 324 respecting re- 340 lis removal,... 341 opularity of... 340 Page CAMpnFM, Stkwaiit. Elected .Siicakcrof tlie Assembly 41^1 Movi'^ an n'tifniltiiput to the reply to the ail Iress of .'■"ir F. Williams 4,50 C'AMrKEi.L Jiiux. His estimate of the area of the coiil (icMs of N.iva Scotia 484 Discovers giiM ai.il .lilvi'r in the Province. 49ii Canada. Population of in 108;» 01 Stnij^f^ le for ii'S|i()nsibIe (ioveriiinent in... 357 Cape liuKTON. Visited by Verazauoand Ilore 28 Claims n'jra 'li ig its (irst setlh'ment 31 GoviTiiment of made subordinate to t^ue- bcc GO Coal mines of 'irst worked by the French. 60 Resoiirees of develo[)eu by Nioholaa D>!uys GO Remains in poss'ssion of France by treaty of Utrechi 72 French inhabitiints of Newfoundland' re- move to 73 Captured by tliD British. Its wealth and populati '•) 143 Working of coal mines jn'ohibited by Im- perial Go.einmeut 159 Pernicious r'fi'cts of tliis ))olicy 100 Annexation of to Nova Scotia Opposi- tion of th" ppo|de 249 Increase of ie|iiesentation granted to 288 Account of it- coal mines 484 Canso. Visit 'd liy Baron deLery 27 Fislierrapn nttiirked by Indians 82 Weak state of the defences of in 1743 8G Rendezvous f)r Pepiierill's expedition against Louibourg 89 Carlktos Thomas. First Governor of New Brunswick 172 Cartieu Jaci^pes. His voyages up the St. Lawrence j 29 Caulfikld Thomas, Lieut. -Gov. of Anna- poli.«. Letter to the Board of Trade 77 CAVASA(in L^wnENOB, member for Cape Breton in Assembly 250 Opposition to his taking his seat 257 CiiAMPLAiN sunenders Quebec to Sir David Kirk 51 Charnisb Daubrh. Succeeds Razillae as Governor 53 Abandons La Have and returns to Penob- "tot 53 Obtains a warrant for arrest of Charles de la Tour 53 Blockades LaTour's fort but is compelled to retr-at 54 Attacks La Tour's fort and puts to death all its defenders 55 Death and character 55 CHASSEnns. Account of Spanish Chasseurs and their dogs 200 Chebucto (Halifax) Rendezvous of Duke d'Anvillc's expedition 92 Hon. E. Cornwallis arrives at. (See Ilali- fiax) 99 Pago " CiiRSAi'EAKK," U.S. frigate, captured by tlio " Shannon" 214 Eni[uiry into tlic cause of her capture 217 ('uKaTEK. State of the townsliip of in 1700 150 CuuiNKCTO. Number of inhabitants in 1T.!0. 82 De Rama/.ay retires to in order to await reiiif(M'ci'ments 95 A townrihi|i esiablislieil at 147 Cmoieiia. Ravages of, in Halifax 'ivL Cm o.McLE. First Ncws|)aper i>ublished in Nova Scotia 113 CutJitcii, CoLoNEi,, Lavs Waste Am.apcdis... G5 Coal .Mi.nes ok Cai'k Bueto.n, First opened.. 00 The Hefrt!tary of Slate forljids tlieir lieiug worked 159 Coal fields of .Vova Scotia, descriiition of (see Appei dix) 484 (>'oBKQt:n), A township established at |47 CocHUAN Ja.mks. A|ipointed a uu" I'^er of Government 458 Colchestkii Cot ntv. Deposit of iron ore in 494 Its raanutiictures ill 170ii(Noto) 100 Colli.ns John, Member of Governor Law- rence's Council 125 Coi-t'MiiHCH CHinsToi'iiEH, Discovcfy of America by 13 CONKEDEIIATION OK BulTlSlI NoilTH Amu KICAN PUOVIXCES, Ilistwiy of 431 When first proposed, Lord Durham's re- port 432 Debai ' in Nova Scotian House of As- sembly 433 Two delegates appointed to confer with Imperial Government coiicrning 434 Pamphlets publisiied by P. S. Hamilton, and lectures by Dr. I'^unper, in favor of 435 Resolution in favor movea by Josh. Howe 435 Dr. Tupper's motion for union of .Maritime Provinces 445 Opposed by Mr. .Miller in the Assembly... 445 Convention held at Cliarlottetowu, P.E.I. 439 Resolution in favor of passed i y Can- adian Parliament 444 Charlottetown Convention adjourns to meet at Quel)ec 439 Banqiietto the Convention at Halifax 439 Confirence of delegates at (Jiiebec 440 Resolutions adopted by the Convention... 440 Mc^etings at Halifax for and against the measure 441 Resolutions of the Convention approved, with .slight amendment, by the H irae Government 442 Canadian Parliament petition that the measuve become law 444 New Bvunswick Legislature first oppose and 'hen advocate union 444 Dr. Tupper moves and carries resolutions in favoi of Confederation 444 Delegations sent to London to oppose and advocate the measure 446 Delegations from New Brunswick and Canada join Nova Gcotian delegation in I! 536 INDEX. Page Lonflon, and pa?s amended resolutions granting better terms 448 Mea.'ure passed by the Imperial Govern- Uient 448 Overthrow of the Confederate Govern- ment in Nova Scotia 458 Houie of Assembly petition the Queen to repeal the Confederation Act 459 Delegation goes to Britain to urge repeal of the union 460 Despatch from Colonial Secretary re- specting the petition of the Assembly... 4G0 Return of the delegates. Their protest.. 462 Provincial Convention to receive report of delegates 464 Sir J. A. McDonald, Sir Geo. Carticr, and Hon. P. .Mitchell arrive at Halifax 464 Defection of the Hon. Jos. Howe from the anti-confederate party 465 Connolly Rev. Dr. Archbishop of Halifax. Presentation of an address and service of plate to 376 Cook Capt., the celebrated navigator, jtre- sent at siege of Quebec 143 CouNWALLis Hon. Elwahd, Governor of Nova Scotia. Appointed to command the Colony 98 Sails with a number of emigrants and ar- rives at Lunenburg 99 Arrives at Ciiebucto (Halifax) 99 Communicates with Mascarene, and sends vessels to convey troops from Lunenburg 101 Takes the oaths of office and appoints a Council 103 Stringvui. policy towards the Aeadians... 104 Proposes to exterminate the Micmacs,but is prevented by tlie Home Government 105 Orders the arrest of Joseph de la Loutre.. 107 Address iu reply to the petition of the Aeadians ("Appendix E) 109 Returns to England. Features of his ad- ministration 110 Cornwal:.:.'' Flourishing state of town- ship of, .n 1760 148 CoTTEitALL Wm. Member of Governor Lawrence's Council 125 CouLON, Colonel, French commander at th3 surprise of Grand Pre 95 Council Lkgislativk. Opposes permanent grant to Pictou Academy... 237 Opposes an act to amend ihe Roman Catiiolic Tests Bill 257 Rejects bill for an increased duty on brandy 269 Passes tlio bill without amendment 279 Rejects the resolution of A.ssenibly that their deliberations be public 309 Opposes resolution of Assembly to open additional ports of entry 315 Assembly recommend thnt their proceed- ings be public 309 Page Threaten to break off communication • with Assembly 314 Addresses the Governor commenting on charges made by the Assembly 315 Rejects bill limiting the duration of Par- liament to four years 318 Abuses of, condemned by Home Gov- ernment '. 322 Constitution of, altered as recommended by Assembly 323 Sends a Delegation to Britain to oppose measures of Assembly 326 Resolutions condemnatory of Confed- eration as proposed by Lord Durham... 329 Constitution of, undir Responsible Gov- ernment 346 Messrs. Howe, Uniacke and McXab re- sign their seats in 354 Executive Council advise the Governor concerning ineligibility of certain Mem- bers of the House 404 Dr. Tujiper's resolution in favor of Con- federation agreed to 446 Courts Law, Established by Governor Cornwallis 110 Creioiiton Likut. John, accompanies Corn- wallis to Nova Scotia 102 Settles at Lunenburg, His distinifuished services.... 103 Crekl.man Hon. Samuel appointed member of Government 455 Cromwell Oliveii sentiS Major S-^ilgewick to take possession of Nova Scotia 56 Determination to retain possession. Grants Nova Scotia and Acadia to La Tour and others 56 Defects of his Colonial polirv 58 CuossKiLL John AND James. Jfoiice of 253 Crown Lands. Price fixed at one shilling per acre .327 Cumberland, Land in, reclaimed f.-om the sea by Loutre 107 Town of, declared a free port 326 CtiNAiiD Siu Samuel, contracts to carry Mails between No. a Scotia and Britain. 328 Foundailon of the Cunard Compmy 329 Vindicates the G< ::eral Mining Associa- tion 369 CuNNiNOHAM P. M. appointed a Railway Commissioner 377 Dalhousie Earl of, arrives in Halifax as Governor 220 Addresses House of Assembly 220 Founds Dalhousi" College 23D Letter to Sir Jas. Kempt on the propo.sed union of Dalhousie with King's (JoUege 240 Recommends a survey of the Province... 245 A Star and Sword voted him by the Le- gislature 246 He refuses to accept them 246 Appointed Governor of Lower V inada... 247 INDEX. 537 Page unicatioQ 314 anting oa ly 315 )u of Par- 318 jme Gov- 322 mniended 323 to oppose 326 ' Confed- Durliam... 320 libie Guv- 346 ilc.Vab re- 354 Governor rtrtin Mem- 404 )r of Cou- 446 Govpruor 110 mies Cora- 102 tinifuished ...;. 103 ud iiiembor 455 S-'ilEjewick Scotia 56 possession. Acadia to 56 58 )ticc of 253 jne siiilling 32T 'd f.'om tlie 107 326 } to carry mid Britain. 328 inipuiy 329 ig Associa- 369 a Hail way 377 Il.i'ifax as 220 y 220 239 lie |iroposed lig's College 240 I'rnvince... 245 1 h\ the Le- : 246 246 ■r V inada... 247 Page Revisits Halifax. Festivities in ids honor 247 Dalhousie CoLLKdK. Proposed union witli King's College 239 D'Annvillb DtTKK, heads an expedition against British North America 92 Dies at Chebiicto (Halifax) 92 Daktjiol'tii Tow.v of, founded. The in- habitants massacred by Indians 108 Proposed Canal from, to the Basin of Minas 2G0 Ferry boat first propelled by steam 282 Davidso.n Hcon, Appointed a Member of Governor Corinvallis' Council 103 Dawson Dr. J. \V. Quotation from his work on Agriculture (Note) 234 Denvs Nicholas, Developes resources of Cape Breton 60 Denvs M. De la Ronde, Removes from Newfoundland to Louisbiirg 74 His appreciation of resources of Cape Breton 74 DesBarres Wm. F. Member of the Reform Administration 367 De3Cha.mi's Isaac, Judge of Supreme Court. Accused of maladministration 173 Desendaves M. Jean. Priest of Annapolis, corresponds with Governor Mascarene.. 86 DiGBV. Visited by De Monts 39 Dissenters. Number of, in 1827 311 DoDD Hon. E. M. Communication addressed to, by Governor Falkland 354 Offers to resign his Solicitor Generalship 366 DoucETTE John, Succeeds Thos. Caulfield as Governor of Annapolis 78 Doyle .Mr, Member of Assembly. Moves for the public deliberations of the Coun- cil 308 Member of the Reform administration 367 Doyle, Libut.-Genbral Sir C. H. Governor of Nova Scotia 424 Drainage. Remarks on 231 Do'CHAMBON, M. Governor of Louisburg. Address to the Garrison 90 Proposes terms of capitulation 90 Durham, Lord. Governor General of Can- ada. Receives a deputation from the Lower Provinces 325 Resigns his office and returns to Britain,. 325 Bubmits to Parliament his report on Cana- dian affairs 327 E Education in Nova Scotia, first efforts to educate the people 234 First public school erected in Halifax 234 Windsor College founded 235 Dalhousie College founded 239 State of, in 1836 306 Act amended. Lord Falkland recom- mends general assessment 348 Committee of the House recommend gen- eral assessment system 367 Page Number of Scholars at the schools in ■ 1847 307 Facts brought to light by ceusuf) of 1861 427 Eaton and Frazee ! 517 Elgin, Lokd. Governor General of Canada. Visits Halifax 376 Emigration. See Immigration 147 " England," S.S. Arrives at Halifax witn cholera on board 455 Expeditions to Nova Scotia Sir VVm. Alexander's 49 Oliver Crounvell's 56 Duke D'Anville's. Its formidable char- acter 92 Delayed by contrary winds and scattered off Sable Island 92 A remnant of, arrives atChebucto, (Hali- fax) 92 Ravaged by disease at Chebucto 93 Death of Admiral D'Anville and D'Es- tournelle 92 Part of the fleet sunk, and the remnant re- turn to France 93 Hon. Edward Cornwallis' 99 Episcopal Church. Number of adherents in 1S27 311 Estournelle, Admiral D',succeeds Admiral D'Anville in command of expedition against British America His death 92 P Fairbanks, Chas. R. Speech on the neces- sity of a conciliatory policy towards the Council 278 Biographical sketch of. 335 His special talent as a pleader 336 Falkland, Viscount. Governor of Nova Scotia 345 Advocates general assessment for educa- tional purposes 348 Dissolves House of Assembly 351 Demands explanation from Messrs. Howe, Uniacke and McNab, on their resigning their seats in the Council 352 His defence of his policy 352 Complains to the Home Government of Mr. Howe's conduct 365 Doggrel verses on. Appear in " Nova Scotian" 356 Takes a tour through the Province 356 Mr. Howe's letter addressed to 362 Sails for England. Character ot his ad- ministration 362 Controversy as to his consistency as a politician 363 Falmouth. Flourishing state ot the town- ship of, in 1760 148 Felix, Perb. A leader of the Acadians 78 Ferguion, J. Member of the Anti-confeder- ate Government 458 Fires, At Yarmouth 252 At Halifax. Fire Brigade 416 538 im EX. J H Page Great fire at Miramichi 25? Fire lit St. Join's, Nftd 36i FisHKPiEs. Louisbiirg founded to protect the French Fisheries 73 Vessels armed to protect 319 Meeting at Halifax to petition Home Gov- ernment concerning 375 How affected by Recijirocity Treaty with United States. Statistics concerning... 500 Flynn, E. p. Member of anti-confederate Government 458 Forrester Rev. Dr. Biographical sketch of 530 France, New Company of, constituted 53 Fbanckllv, Michael. Governor of Nova S'^otia. Sivetch of his career 1^9 | - Makes explanations to Home Government Cincerniug Jonathan Binney 163 Mr. Bailey's reference to 169 French Exi'EDinoNSTO Nova Scotia. Baron De Leiv's 27 Vern/.nno's 28 Manpiis l)e la Roche 34 Sieiir Ue Monls 38 M. De Poiitrincourt 41 Fruit. Excellence of, exhibited at Interna- tional Fruits Show. See Appendi.x 420 Fruit Growers Association establistied 422 FoNDV, Bay of. Settlements on in 1720 80 Page Grand Pnf:. Village of. Desperate combat between English and French in 95 .Colonel Winslovv's address to the Aca- dians in the church of. 128 Grant, Rev. G. M. "Ocean to Ocei.n" 483 Granville. Extraordinary march of militia of, to Halifax 177 Graves, Admiral. Sends Frigates to cruise in Bay of Fundy 162 Gray, Jas. F. Sjieecb in opening case against Jos. Howe 301 Green, Benjamin. Member of Governor Cornwallis' Council 103 H G Gabahus Bay. Col. Pepperill's expedition against Louisburg arrives at , 89 Gari'ison Library. Founded by Earl of Diilhousie 239 Gabvie, Dh. Volunteers to remain on board cholera ship "England" 456 GiRviE, Frank. Volunteers his services on board cholera ship "England" 456 General Mining Association. Controversy concerning 369 Gesner, Dr. Abraham. Dies at Hulifii ,:. Sketch of. 429 Gilbert, Sir Humphrey. First expedition of. 33 Second expedition and death 33 Glenelg, Lord. Colon"il Seciv>tary. His dci^patch concrning fees oi ihe Judges. 3L) Despatch to the House concerning the Council 322 GoDBi'.iCH, Loud. Colonial Secretary. Let- ter on union of Dalliou' 'e and King's Colleges 242 Suggests a change in tlie salaries of Judges 289 Gold. Discovery of, in Nova Scotia 400 Gordon, Rev. Geo. >' missioi.nry. Bio- graphical sketch of. 412 Gordon, Rev. Jas D , missionary. Bio- graphical sket^'h of. 415 Gorbuam John. I mber of Governor Cornwallis' Council 103 Halibcrton, Sir Brenton. His account of the Duke of Kent 190 Apiiointed Chief Justice of Xova Scotia.. 288 Charge to the Jury at the trial of Jos. Howe 304 Biographical sketch of 410 Halibcjrton, Judce, (author of jam Slick.) 117 His History of Novn Scotia .oferred to.... 334 Account of the Prince's Lodge 183 Eloquent speech on the Roman Catholic Test Bill 257 Efforts ti. procure steam communication between Halifax and England 328 Biograi)hy of 334 Haliburion, R. G. Appointed Secretary of ihe Exhibition Commission of 1862 418 His report on the Fruit sent to Interna- tional '•'ruit Show 420 Halifax. Lord. President of tlie Board of Traue. Hisinlluence used to procure ap- pointment of Cornwallis 99 Halifax, City OF. Origin of the name 99 ArriwU^Hpti T.^. Cornwallis 99 Bo'nidaries and allotment of 102 Great mortali;}" in, during first winter.... 103 Energy displayed in building 105 A'-rival of German immigrants at 112 Firb House of Assembly meets iit 138 Rejoicings at, on occasion of the fall of Quebec 145 Alarm at. in consequence of the capture of St. John's, N. Fid., by the French... 151 The Militia CO ceutrated at 177 Arrival of the Maroons at 107 Foundation Stone of the Province Build- ing laid 210 Frigate " Chesapeake" brought in by the " Shannon" 217 Rejoicings at tidings of Waterloo 219' First Public School ereciod in 235 Dalho'.isie College founded in 239 Gencro-iitv of the inhabitants to the suf- ferers by the tire at Miramichi 256 Halifax Banking Conn)any established in 291 Outbreak of Cholera in 294 Public Meeting at, to obtain an Act of incorporatioi- for (he Town 320, INDEX. 539 Page 5 combat a 95 ,he Aca- 128 ;Pf,n "..... 483 of militia ...., 177 to cruise 162 iriK case ...r. 301 Governor 103 ccount of 190 a Scotia.. 288 al of Jos. 304 410 im Slick.) 117 rred to.... 334 183 Catholic 257 lunication 1 328 334 icretary of f I8"gis- .... 235 e to I issentera 236 viih Dalhousie 239 24'. idress of the klaud 356 and par- atage 50 expedition 50 its and captures , 50 d captures 18 to take Tioises- 56 Razillae 53 ucceeds Hopson : .... 112 disturbances at 113 n against Fort ....^ 114 Acadians from 126 ,he various Gov- ^cadians 127 Page His IndifFerencc to tlioir suffirings 13j Opposes formation of a llniac of Assem- bly 134 Is compelled to give his assent to the calling of a House of Representatives... r'.7 ills address to the Rei)rcsont(itive3 130 His death at Halifax. .Monument and public funeral voted by the Legislature. 145 Various estimates of his character and conduct in rerauviiig the Acadians 14G Wisdom of his arrangements for the settle- ment ofthe Province 147 Legoe, Major, Governor of No >'a Scotia. His inquiry into the management of pro- viucialiinaaces 162 Character of his administration. His recall 1G3 Lb Mahcitant, Sir John Gaspard. Appoint- ed Governor of Nova Scotia 375 Is succeeded by the Earl of Mulgrave 400 T.BRy, lUnov De. Expedition of ■. 27 Lkscabb Mic-Mac Indians. Their manners and cus- toms 18 Etiquette of the wigwam 13 Their love of excitement and addiction to gambling 20 Their language — its structure and affini- ties 20 Their religion and superstitions — Inaccu- rate reports of early observers 22 Their number. Treatment by the Govern- ment 24 Their convers'on to Christianity 46 Their number in 1752, as given by Hoiison 111 Mii.LKB W. Speaks against Confedera- tion 4^14 Secedes from the Anti-confederate Party 446 Militia. Summoned to Halifax by Governor Wentworth 176 Extraordinary march of a company from Granville 177 Eight thousand of, placed at disposal of Oommander-m-Chief 326 MiNA Basin. Supposed origin of the name 81 Settlements at, in 1720 82 Arri\ al of soldiers at, from New England 95 Township established at 147 Mines in Nova Scotia, Letter of Sir Samuel Cunard concerning 3(^9 Coal mines 485 Iron mines 493 Goldmines 497 MiRAMiCHi. Account of the great fire at 253 W"NCKTON, Colonel. Commands an expedi- tion against Fort Beausejour 114 Pre]>ares for the removal of Acadians from Cumberland 127 Montcalm, Gknehal, French Commander of Page Quebec. His defence of Quebec against the British 144 His death on the Plains of Abraham 145 MoNTs, SiBUB De. Receives a Patent from Henry the Fourth 38 Arrives at Livernool, N. S., from France 39 A jiriestlost in tlie woods 39 Enters Digby Strait and Basin of Anna- polis 39 Dfscription ot the scenery 39 Ascends river St. John, and enters Pas- samaquoddy Bay 40 Winters on St. Croix Island 40 Severe sufferings of the expedition 40 Visits Penobscot Bay. Arrival of Pont- gra^ e from France 41 Removes to Port Royal, Annapolis 41 Sails for France, leaving Pontgravc in command 41 Returns to Port Royal, accompanitd by Poutrincourt and Marc Lescarbot 42 Returns to France, accompanied by Pont- grave 42 Loses the monopoly of the fur trade 44 Ends his connection with Acadia 40 MosTvv, Admiral. Assents to the removal of the Acadians 120 MuLf'iAVE, Earl ok. Appointed Governor of Nova Scotia 400 Murdoch, Beamish. Speech on the dispute with the Council concerning duty or Brandy 274 Moves resolutions tastaining action uf the House 274 Delivers an oration on the natal day of HalL^ax, 1849 308 MacGrkgob, Rev. Dr. Jas. Biographical sketch of. 279 MacDonnell, Sib Richard Graves. Gov- vernor of Nova Scotia 431 Appointed Governor of Hong Kong 449 McCuLLOCH, Dk. Thos. Founds thePictou Academy 237 His efficient management of the institu- -lon 237 McCuLLY, Jonathan. A commissioner for consolidating and simplifying t)ie laws 371 Ai)poiiited a railway commissioner 377 Appointed Solicitor-General 407 Advocates confederation 441 Delegated to London to advocate con- federation 440 McDonald, Jas. Appointed commissioner of railways 423 Apjiointed Financial Secretary 530 McDonald, Hugh. Delegated to London to oppose confederation 440 McHkffky, li. a. Appointed a member of the Anti-confederate Government 458 .McKinnon, Jons. Apiiointed member of Government 455 / INDEX. 543 Page icbcc again3t 144 Abraham 145 , Patent from 38 from France 30 39 ,sin of Anna- 30 39 i enters Pas- 40 1 40 jcdition • 40 rival of Pout- 41 inapolis 41 Pontgrave in 41 •conipanitd by Lescavbot 42 aniedbyPont- 43 ? fur trade 44 Acadia 40 to the removal 126 ated Governor 400 on the dispute rning duty or f. 274 ling action uf ^„ 274 natal day of 308 Biographical z u JrRAVES. GoV- 431 long Kong 440 1 inds the Pictou 237 of the institu- 237 mmissioner for mplifying tlie '. 377 . 407 . 441 advocate con- 440 d commissioner ,. 423 retiiry 530 ated to London n 440 tod a member of Jovrrnment 453 ited member of 45.) inussioner lal Page McLelan, a. W, Speaks against confede- ration 444 Secedes from the Anti-confederate party 405 McNab, Hon. Jas. Tenders his lesigna- tion as member of Council 352 Appointed a member of the reform ad- ministration 3G7 Appointed Receiver-General 423 Appointed Provincial Treasurer 455 N. NesbEtt, Wm. Member of the first House of Assembly 140 Sketch of his public life 140 New Brunswick, Province op. Constituted and first Governor appointed 172 Agitation in, for responsible govern- ment 359 New England. Various expeditions from, against the French CI Character of tlie early- settlers. Har- vard College founded 155 Resolute character of tlie people 155 Opposition to tlic Stamp Act in. Speech by Wm. Pitt 150 Legislature of Massachuseits address a circular to House of Assembly 157 Fate of the document 158 Toasts at the celebration of tlie Sons of Liberty in Boston 158 Indignation of ihe people at theattem|>t of British Government to crush their manufactures 160 Battle of Lexington and declaration of war IGl NBWFotiNnLAND. Early prosecution of its fisheries 33 Majority of French inhabitants remove to Cape Breton 73 Inhabitants petition Her Majesty for government similar to that of Nova Scotia 307 Newspaper. First published in Nova Scotia 113 Newton, John, ""rosccutcd and fined for mismanage uiont of Government funds H3 New York. House of Assembly petition Queen Anne for assistance against the French 67 Nicholson, FnA,,fTS. His public career and advocacy of confederation 67 Commands an expedition against Port Royal 68 Captures the place and returns to Boston 69 Visits England and induces Government to send an expedition for conquest of Canada 70 Marches against Montreal but is com- pelled to abandon the enterprise 71 Page Appointed Governor of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland 72 Queen Anne's letter to hira respecting Acadians (See Appendix C) B20 Succeeded by General Philips 73 Noble, Colonel. Commanderof reinforce- ments sent to Mascarene 95 Is killed by the French at Grand Pre.... 95 Nova Scotia. First attempt to colonize... 29 The grape vine indigenous to 43 Granted to Sir \Vm. Alexander by James First 49 Origin of the name of. 60 Ceded to France by Treaty of St. Germain 53 Recovered by Oliver Cromwell 56 Granted to Thos. Temple, Chas de la Tour, Crowne, & Chas. St. Stephen... 56 Disputes concerning the boundaries of.. 58 Restored to Franco by Treaty of Breda. 59 Population of,in 1071 60 Fnince confirmed in possession of, by Treaty of Kyswick 64 Restored to Britain by Treaty of Utrecht 72 Description of, in 1720 by Paul .Mascarene 80 Arrival of Hon. E Corawallis' expedition at 93 Governor Belcher's report of, in 1700 148 Indifference of the people to the imposi- tion of the Stamp Tax 157 Increase of populatio.i at close of Ameri- can war 165 Available military force in 1793 177 Sir Geo. Prevost's communication to the Assembly concerning 209 Steam first used in the Province : 282 State of education in 1830 306 Loyalty of the Province during the rebol- 1 o;i in Canada 321 Steam communication with Eigland es- tablished 329 First railway opened in 330 thirst electric telegraph constructed in.... 369 Productions of, exhibited at the Interna- tional Exhibition, 1862 419 Becomes confederated with Canada and New Brunswick 446 General features of 474 Description of the coal fields of. 484 The iron mines of 493 Statistics concerning fisheries of 500 Statistics concerning population of 504 Nova Scotia Iron Works, Halifax 510 Nova Scotian Newspaper. Publishes letter signed " The People," which leads to the pros'cution of Joseph Howe 300 0. O'Connell, Daniel. Meeting in Halifax on the occasion of his death 364 Octham, Joseph. Publishes letters on Nova Scotia in Glasgow Daily Mail 368 514 INUKX. I! P. Page mM- Parker, Capt. Wm. R. C. A. His death at Ktbiistopol iVomiinoiit erected to his memoiy 390 Parsoks, J. G. W. P. His account 'of the working of tlie JFaine Liqiior Law 388 Parr, John, Governor of \4 Taken liy Major Sedgewick 66 Pepperill, Wtt.i.iam. 'Coniniand.s expedition against Louisbonrg. Takes Louisbourg. Is created a Baronet 90 Acts Willi Admiral Warren as joint Governor of Louisbonrg 91 Peters, Dr. His eccentric letter to Mr. Bailfy 171 Phillips, Ge.vehal J{iciiaiid. Appointed Governor ot N'ova Scotia 78 His recommendation to the Government regniding the Acadians 78 His letter to Lord Cartaret 78 Insist? on the Acadians taking 'he oath or lertvinp the country 80 Returns to England .•. 84 Again returns to Annapolis and induces Acadians to take the oath uncondi- tionally 85 Final return to England, where he re- mains^ioininal Governor till succeeded by Oornw;illis 85 Piiips, Sm Wm. Ilis birth and romantic career CI Commands the Boston expedition against Port Royal Gl Captures Port Royal. Heads an expedi- tion for the capture of (iinbee 02 Disastrous failure of the attempt 03 PiCTOU AcADE-MY founded 237 PiNEO, Mr. Elected member for Ciimbeiland 458 Pitt, \Vm., Earl of Chatham. His sjieech on Taxation of the Colonies 150 Pontohartrain M. Dk, French Minister of Marine. His letter to the British Gov- ernment respecting the Acadians 75 PoNTORAVE. Arrives at Acadia with sujiplies for De Monts 41 Appointed lieutenant during absence of De Mints 41 Endeavois to explore to the southward... 41 Sails for France, but returns, and finally accomjianies De Monts to France 42 Population of Nova Scotia. Statistics re- lating to 504 Port Royal. Settlement established at by DeMcnts 4J Grant of, to Poutrlncourt ratified b Henry Fourth Al)andoned by I'oulrincourt Destroyed by the English (Captured by Kirk Taken by Major Sedgcwick Sui-endered to Sir Wm. I'liips Attacked bj the New Englanders who n''e twice repulsed Captured by General Nicholson Garrisoned by New Englanders. (Foi subsequent liistury of, see Annapolis). P' ''tfincourt, M. Dk. Accompanies exjiedi- tion of De Monts ,... lieai. 3 to France and again sails foi Acadia Takes command of the colony jointly with Lescarbot Goes on coasting vovage to Cape Cod, Is attacked by Inifians Abandons Port Royal and returns Ic France Exhibits samples of corn from Acadia at the French court Again .sails for Acadia. Converts the Micmacs to Christianity Sails for France and returns to Port Royal Fiiiiilly leaves Acadia, Falls at the sieg. of Mery Sur Seine PouTiiiNCouRT, BiE.NCoURT. Sent by his father to France A r sui jdies ' (^)mpclled to take Jesuit priests with him on liis return ...,. Left in charge of the colony by his fathei and disagrees with the Jesuits Is attacked by the English, and com- pelled to lice ^ His death Power, P,, opposes confederation ' PuEscoTT, Hon. C. R. His efforts to pro- mote fruit culiivati(m in NovaScotia. h^^ Prkvost, Sir Geo. Appointed Governor of Nova Scotia 209 Makes a tour throiigii the Province 209 Lays foundation stone of Provincial Building 210 Ilis doubts as to ihu loyalty of the pro- vince 210 Ajjjiointed Governor (jf Canada 210 PiuNCK William Henry. Arrival of, at Halifax. His recejilion 172 Prince Eowari). Arrival of, at Halifax. (See Duke of Kent) 177 Princb"s LoDOE. Account of. 183 Province Building. Foundat'on stone laid 210 PiiYoR, Wm., Jr. Ai)pointed a Railway Commissioner 377 Q- QuANELL, W. D. Commissary General. (.'onveys Maroons from Jamaica to Halifax / 202 R R ratified b ;;;■;;;;;■";,;; I )9 iiiiders who son dcrs. (Fci Annapolis), imcs L'xpi-'di- lin saila foi ony jointl)! Cape Cod. 1 returns tc im Acadia at Converts the irns to Port Isatthesieg. ient by his idie3 ' priests with by his fathei siiits li, and com- •« tion ' il'orts to pro- N'ova Scotia. H Shannon and CnESAi'EAKE. The fight be- tween. 214 Shannon, Hon. S. L. Speech on tlieaniend- ment to Gov. Sir F. Williams' address.. 454 Secretary of Bible Society 413 Shelburne, Town of. Declared a Free Port 326 Sheup.kooke, Sir John C. Succeeds Sir George Prevost as Governor 211 Pref entation of Plate to,by tlie Assembly. 219 Ap])ointed Go^'ernor of British North American Provinces 219 Siiii'BUiLDiNO Trade of tiic Province 513 Shirley, Wm. Governor of Massachusetts, Recommends an attack on Louisbourg. .^8 Raises t,()00 men to attack Louibbourg.. 89 RecpiestB Commodore Warren to co-oper- ate with the Fleet 89 Proposes the settlement of a large colony in Nova Scotia 97 Takes measures for the reduction of Fort Beausejour 114 Silver discovered in the jirovince 498. Slayteb, Db. John H. Ilis noble conduct y i/ 646 INDEX. m * m- fir L.'i I I !i i 3 A ff ' 5 ? f J *i i ? f H Page and dciit) on bonrd tlie cholera ship " Enghiml" 4".7 Smith, W. II. Delognted to London to urge repeal of the Llnioi 40i) yMYTH, Major-Oeneral J. H. Appoiritod in- terim ODveruor of Nuva Scotia 219 SoURRBET. Account of an exourslon from ilalifaxto 47(J St. Custeins. A French commander of the Indiana 123 St. Gehmain. Trcatyof 52 St. John. Island of. (See Cape Breton) St. John Rivkii Fobt. Captured by Cliar- nist! 55 Taken by Major ISedguwicK 50 Chevalier DeVillebou retired to Ul Evacuated and blown up by the French. 113 St. John's, Ntld. Captured by French Men of War 151 Recaptured by Lord Colville. French garrison made ))ri8onerd 152 Great fire at 302 Staiks, Wm. Vice-president at the Ileforra dinner at Halifax 347 Speech on the collegiate endowment question 349 Opposes confederation 442 Stamp Tax imposed on the American colonies. (See New England) 150 Staur David IIf;.\HY. His services to the fruit growers of Nova Scotia 422 Starr Manufac TURING Co. Organization of 510 Stbrns, Mr. Attorney. Accuses Judges Deschamps and Brenton before the Assembly 173 Stbwart Alex. Moves resolutions to open the Council to the public 293 Speech on t!ie subject of the Quit Rents. 299 SuBERCASE, M. Succeeds Broudlan as Governor 65 Defends Port Royal against the English. 60 His suggestion to colonise the ccuntry disregarded by the French government. 66 Strengthens Port Royal 60 Solicits Aid from French Government... 68 Compelled to surrender Port Royal to the English 69 Sydnky Harbour. Visited by Admiral Walker's fleet 71 T. Taylor, Mr.. Attorney. An accuser of Judges Deschamps and Brenton 173 Telegraph, Electric. First erected in Nova Scotia 369 Temperance Societies. Their [irugress in the province in 1829 281 Convention held in Halifax 297 Working "" the Maine Liquor Law dis- cussed 384 Prohibitory Liquor Law discussed in As- sembly. Mr. Howe's speech 380 Temple. .Sir Thos. Appointed Govern of Nova Scotia Is compelhd to restore the country Fiance Thompson, Thr Rioht Hon. Chas Gove nor General of (Jauada, visits Ilalifi Thompsoh, Ja.s, assists commissioners f consolidating and simplifying t laws Thorne, Robt. Voyage of Tobin, lIoN. MiCHAKL. Chairman at tl Reform dinner at Halifax Appointed a member of the Reform a ministration Toriv, Tiios S. Appointed a Railwf Commisioner Tonoe, Collenham. Incurs the enmity Governor Went worth Tour, Claude De la. Made prisoner I Kirk and taken to England Is won over to English interests. Ileac an expedition to Nova Scotia Attemjits to seduce his son froniFrenc allegiance Settles in Acadia Takes possession of Nova Scotia, excej Port Royal Tour. Chas, Db la. Defeats his father attempt to force him from his all giance Half Acadia granted to buy the Frenc King Attacked by Charuise, he appeals 1 Uostoninns for assistance Capture of his fleet by Charnise Made Governor of the whole provinci Marries widow of Charnisi' His Forts seized by Major Sedgcwick.., Petitions Cromwell for restoration of h' property ilis death. His character vindicated.. Toun, Madam De la. Heroic conduct o: Treaties which affected Nova Scoru Treaty of St. Germains " •' Westminster " " Breda " " Ryswick " " Utrecht " " Aix la Chapelle " « Giient Reciprocity Treaty with the Unite States " Tribune La," Frigate, Loss of, at tl entrance to Halifax Harbor Troop, J. C. Appointed membar of Ant confederate Government Delegated to London to urge repeal ( Confederation Act Truro, Cobkquid and Onslow. Populatio of, 1720 TuppER, Dr. Chas. Elected member fc Cumberland, defeating Jos. Howe.... Appointed Provincial Secretary INDEX. 54T cd C.ovcm le country HAS Gov( visits Ilalifi li-jtioncrs f plifyiiig t rman at tl I' Reform a il a Railwf the enmity e prisoner I and tero3t3. Hea( cotia n from Frenc Scotia, excej Xi his father rom his all iiy the Frenc he appeals 1 ;e larnisu ........ hole proving nisi' ' Seilgcwick.., iloration of h' r vindicated.. oic conduct o: Nova Scorii h the Unite OSS of, at tt irbor lembar of Ant int urge repeal < ow. Populatio ted member f( ; Jos. Howe.... scretary Page 1 on the Education Hill 421 solution respecting Union of the ;timc rroviiices 437 ■es on ciuifi'deration in Nova Scotia New Itruiiswick 4.% jates adoption of the Quebec ^me 441 moves for union of Maritime vinccs 441 and carries resolution in favor of feiloration of all the Provinces 44;") ited lo London to advocate con- ration 440 (lies a reply to a Pamiihlet written •Ion. Joseph Howe 44G !idcfenminion House of Commons Uumberland 4J8 jds to London to vindicate Gov- nent action in regard to confeder- n 400 U. ,R. J. Attorney General. Presides he Waterloo Dinner at Halifax 219 ;, R. J,, Jus. Moves an address to Majesty on the Roman Catholic t Bill 257 h on the rejection by the Council bill for an increased duty on ady 272 c, CiioFTON. I'rei)ares to collect the t Rents 2G7 i, J. B. Speech on the rupture of incilwith the House of Assembly... 315 !rs his resignation as memlier of incil 352 i a vote of want of confidence in Government 366 Ls in forming a new Administra- 1 307 inted Commissioner of Crown ids 377 if the Protinces. (See Confedem- Federal, which took jihice in lerica 433 Statks. War declared between >at Rritain and 211 irocity Treaty concluded with 378 r, Treaty of. (See Ai)pendix D).... 72 V. V. B. Appointed Provincial Secre- f , 458 ciL. French Government of Canada ucts French Missionaries to-^iir up lians against the English 70 , CoLoiVSL. Submits plan of attack Pago on French • settlements to Govern- ment , 67 Aj)poinled Governor of Port Royal 69 His report to the British Governmeut respecting the Acadians 75 Vkrazand. Visits Capo Breton 28 VicAHH, Capt. II. His death at Sebastopol 390 ViLi.Kuo.N, CiiKVALiKit Db. Ajipointed Gov- ernor of Nova Scotia 64 Finds Port Royal mined by the English. Retires to the River St. John 64 Is succeeded by Hrouillan 65 Vincent, Pkiih. A leader of the Acadians 78 W. Wade, Joh.n 0. Elected Speaker of House of 'issenibly 424 Wales, Prince ok. His visit to Nova Scotia 407 Walkei', Ai'Miral. Commands an expedi- tion against Canada 70 Encounters disasters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and abandons the enter- prise 71 Holds a Council|and resolves not to at- tack Placentia^ NHd 71 Returns to Britam, and is ridiculed 71 Wallace, Hon. Michael. Represents Dal- housie College in a conference with the governors of King's 239 Apjiointcd interim Governor, and dis- solves the House 275 Wainwuiqiit. Colonel. Commands an ex- pedition against Port Royal 65 War declared between Great Britain and France in lOftO CO " 1744 80 " 17.50 140 " 1793 176 Between Great Britain and United States in 1812 211 Warhev, Commodore. Refuses to co-oper- ate with .\ew Englanders in the attack at Louisbourg 89 Receives instructions to assist in the attack, and to join the expedition at Canso 89 Assists at reduction of Louiiibourg. Is made an Admiral 90 Acts jointly with Sir Wm. Pepperill as Governor of Louisbourg 91 Waterloo, Battle of. Rejoicings in Hal- ifax at the tidings of. 215 Liberal subscription for the families of the slain 219 Welsford, Major A. F. His death at Se- bastopol. Monument erected to his memory 391 Went WORTH, John. Governor of Nova Scotia. His arrival . 176 Dissolves the Assembly. Puts the Prov- ince in a state of defence 175 548 INDEX. • n Page Chftractor of his adniinUtralioli 209 "Whiuokn, JosKrii, ii Comiiii.-isionw for con- soliclHting nii'l Biinplifving the liwu... 371 WlIITKKlELI), ()« .i(!E. fllO CflciiatPfl prortcliiT, fiiriiislii's a motto forexped- tion agaiiiHt Loiiisbuurg 89 Whvoocomaii. Iron Mines at 494 WiLKiNs. Lkwis M. Speecli concerning pub- lic deliberations of Council 31,'( Speech on the threat of Council to witii- draw from communicating with House of Assembly 314 Delegated to England Lj the Legislative Council 32(5 Appointed Provincial yecretary 377 WiLKiNS, MautiiN I. UetircB from the Admin- istration 400 Appointed Attorney General 458 Jlis resolution prptestiug against Con- federation 458 Williams, Sin Fknwick. Suecaeds Hir R. .' G. MacDonnell as G-jvernor of Nova Scotia 449 Tlis heroic conduct at Kars Xf 393 ■Windsor. College at, founded by the Lc« gislature 235 Extent of its exports of gypsum in 1834 299 Declared a Free Port 320 ■AViNSLOw, CoLMNKL. Prepares for expulsion of Acadians from Anuapolii 127 Summary of his career 127 "WoLFH!, BaioADiBn Genebal. Takes part in siege of Louisbourg 141 Selected to lend an army against Quebec 143 His illness. Heavy losses sustained by his forces 144 Lands his army, and occupies the Plains of Abraham 144 .Defeats the French. His death 115 y. Pago Varmoutii. GrtiU tiro iii 252 Free Waiviiousiiig Act pxtenilcd to 288 Extent of shipping in 1834 299 YoDNo, JoH.v. His letters on agriculture. (See A)»ricola) 221 Biography of 227 Opinion in regard to Quit Rents 2G8 Speech on tiie encru •'•hmouls of tlio Council on the rights of the A33eml)ly. 269 Publishes letters to S. G. W. Archibald. 303 Speech on reply of the Council to re- commendations of the Assembly 310 You.NO, Geo. It. His interest in the Hali'ax Mechanics Institute 231 Appointed a member of the Uefonn Administration 209 Replies to Hon. S. Cunard's letter con- cerning the General Mining Associ- ation 3G'J YocNQ Siu William, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia. Speech concerning public deli- berations of theCouncil 313 Remarks on the motion to limit dura- tion of Parliament to four years 313 Opinion regarding legality of fees exacted by judges 320 Appointed a delegate to confer with Lord Durham 325 Delegated to Britain to urge certaiu re- forms 32(3 Elected Speaker of the House of Assem- bly 348 Visits Canada, and is entertained at a banquet in Toronto 359 A commissioner for consolidating and ainaplifyiug the laws 371 Roconstruc s the Government 377 Appointed President of the Council 407 I' r,,g„ 25J ended to 288 20a 1 ngriculturo. 221 227 'eiits 2(J8 riK'iits of tlio thuAssuniljIy, 269 V. ArchiljalJ. 30i oiiiicil to re- ssembly 010 nthelliili^'ax •■; 284 llie Reform ■••; 2(39 s letter on- liiig Associ- 3G'3 itice of Nov.v public deli- •••■ 313 ) limit dura- ■ years 318 it/ of fees 320 confer with 325 e certain ro- 32G le of Asscm- 348 tained at a •;•••; 350 datmg and 371 It 377 ouncil 407