NEWFOUNDLAND. (Hansard, 8 August 1842)

§ Mr. Philip Howard

rose, pursuant to the notice he had given, to move that the bill under consideration, annulling the existing constitution of Newfoundland, be, read a third time that day three months. In so doing, he was not unmindful of the fact, that he gave to the supporters of the bill the vantage ground, as it was much easier at that period of the Session for the Government to gather its strength; but, although the provisions of that bill were unknown to the country generally until after the discussion of the 30th ult., lie did not wish to court success by anything like a surprise, or resort to arts of unworthy retaliation. They, the opponents of the bill, rested their case upon the 1126 royal charter granted to the island in 1832 by his late Majesty William 4th., who himself, attached to that noble profession which gave to them the command of the ocean, had personally served in those latitudes, and might; fairly be presumed to have known the circumstances and wants of the population. That Monarch, whose characteristic virtues were kindness of feeling and singleness of intention, had confided to the keeping of hat colony a constitution, broad and liberal in its provisions, and it was for the promoters of that act of disfranchisement to prove, that it had worked ill, hem (Mr. Howard) contended, that the House of Assembly bad applied itself with judgment and with diligence to their legislative functions. They had caused 1,000 miles of road to he laid down; they had erected lighthouses along the coast; by the building of prisons, steps had been taken to guard ands vindicate the law-nor had they been neglectful of the cause of education. Under their jurisdiction the triumphs of cultivation had extended. To no more legitimate purpose, in a primitive state of society, could their labours have been directed— but be would take the liberty of reading an extract from a work, the "Encyclopœdia Britannica," a work certainly not drawn up for party purposes. and which thus describes the condition of the island about 1836 and 1837. 'The moral aspect of Newfoundland is rather encouraging; considerable unanimity has usually existed amongst the different religious persuasions, consisting of Wesleyans, Roman Catholics, and Congregationalists; the Dissenters being generally more numerous than the Episcopalians, over whom there is an archdeacon. The Catholic church is governed by a bishop. There are several newspapers published in the island, and of late years a taste for literature has been diffusing itself, There are between thirty and forty schools, as well for adult as for children. Ai St. John's there is a commercial society, out of which a chamber of commerce is chosen; there are several benevolent societies, and two benefit societies. Such from impartial evidence was the state of the island, and no defect in the working of them constitution had been substantiated beyond the fact that the elections had been rather stormily contested, and that some scenes of violence had marked their progress; but that was not, hem presumed, a novel accusation even iii more refined communities But he would 1127 now advert to the two most objectionable clauses of the Bill in its amended form as it had passed the committee. In the existing charter no property qualification was exacted, as in Scotland, the best exercise of choice was left to the electors, then, too, the amount of wealth in the island taken into view the qualification required was high, for the islanders lived in a very primitive and patriarchal style and payments, as in the middle ages were mostly in kind; but light were his objections (and of those hon. Members with whom he had the honour to act) to the qualification clause as compared to the 6th clause, which was in principle most objectionable; it went by the fusion of the two Chambers to stifle the popular voice, and reduced nearly to a nullity the right of representation; and would that be a course of legislation likely to forward the interest of the colony and contentment of the governed? Would it hold out inducements to emigration? Would the English, the Anglo-Saxon leave the land of his fathers to live under a system of law less free than his own? No, the whole course of experience proved the reverse. Why then, court an invidious comparison between the freedom of the United States and the form of government of those under the sway of the British sceptre. Many hon. Members whom, he saw opposite, had in 1832 and previously, opposed in this country the enlargement of the franchise proposed to be granted by the Reform Bill, but no hon. Member had since moved to repeal the provisions of that act, and why? because there was a wide difference and a broad distinction between not giving and taking away, and if such were their bearing at home, why in the name of honour and of justice should they adopt a different course towards a distant and unprotected colony—a colony which in the event of war would be, as it had ever been an important point of defence. Let them not poison the fountain of loyalty there by chilling diffidence and suspicion. To the hardy sons of Newfoundland belonged the honour, on the extreme outpost of civilization, of guarding the British flag. The hon. Member concluded by expressing a hope the House would ever regard as its own the interest of the British colonies.

List of the AYES.
A'Court, Capt.	Hogg, J. W.
Arkwright, G.	Hope, hon. C.
Baldwin, B.	Inglis, Sir R. H.
Baring, hon. W. B.	Jermyn, Earl
Bentinck, Lord G.	Jones, Capt.
Blackburne, J. I.	Knatchbull, rt. hn. SirE.
Boldero, H. G.	Lascelles, hn. W. S.
Botfield, B.	Lygon, hon. Gen.
Broadley, H.	Marsham, Visct.
Bruce, Lord E.	Masterman, J.
Corry, rt. hon. H.	Meynell, Capt.
Cresswell, B.	Nicholl, rt. hon. J.
Darner, hon. Col.	Packe, C. W.
Douglas, Sir C. E.	Peel, J.
Estcourt, T. G. B.	Pollock, Sir F.
Flower, Sir J.	Pringle, A.
Follett, Sir W. W.	Round, J.
Ffolliott, J.	Stanley, Lord
Forbes, W.	Sutton, hon. H. M.
Fuller, A. E.	Trench, Sir F. W.
Gladstone, rt. hn. W. E.	Trotter, J.
Gordon, hon. Capt.	Verner, Col.
Gore, M.	Wood, Col. T.
Goulburn, rt. hn. H.	Wortley, hon. J. S.
Greene, T.	Young, J.
Hamilton, W. J.
Hardy, J.	TELLERS.
Henley, J. W.	Fremantle, Sir T.
Hodgson, R.	Gaskell, J. M.
List of the NOES.
Brotherton, J.	Philips, M.
Duncan, G.	Plumridge, Capt.
Duncombe, T.	Scott, R.
Fitzroy, Lord C.	Wilde, Sir T.
Gibson, T. M.
Hawes, B.	TELLERS.
O'Brien, J.	Howard, P.
Pechell, Capt.	Wall, B.