The assembly met on tuesday, 6 June. Mr. Newton was president of council-Mr. Barclay speaker. Lieut. governor Wentworth, in his opening speech, says: "Gentlemen of the " "council and gentlemen of the house of assembly: It affords "

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me pleasure to meet you in general assembly, not only be"cause it brings into active operation the several powers of" "our mixed and well-tempered government, but as it furnish-" es the constitutional means of investigating the wants and " resources of the country, and amplifying and securing the "happiness of H. M. subjects in this province. While we "deplore the destructive effects, in various other countries, "of the severe but necessary war, in which his majesty is yet" engaged with a cruel and revengeful enemy, we cannot be "too thankful for the protection we receive, and the exemp"tion we enjoy from its ravages, throughout this province.-" "To preserve these blessings, it is requisite we should be at " 'all times prepared to resist, with a determined and united" "energy, every attempt which may be concerted to molest" "us; and I trust that the military and naval force, which the "provident care of our beloved sovereign affords us, aided" "by the spirit and resolution of the people, will prove suffi"cient to repel any attack which the enemy may have in " contemplation and be able to make in this quarter of H. M." "dominions." He then speaks of the reduction of the province debt-extension of agriculture and fisheries, and the repair and making roads and bridges.

Messrs. Sterns, Wallace and Stuart, were the committee to draw the reply of the house.

Rev. Robert Stanser, the rector of St. Paul's, the successor of Mr. Breynton, was chosen chaplain of the house on the resignation of Mr. Weeks.

In answer to a committee of the house, Sir John stated that the Maroons had been received here by instructions from the crown, who would provide for them. The capitation tax had last year produced £842 5s. id., and a balance of accounts was £7600 in favor of the province. Friday, 30 June. On a bill the house sent up, to prevent illicit trade, the council object, among other things, to the seizure of vessels belonging

to foreigners found within three leagues of the coast of Nova Scotia, as "repugnant to the British statutes, for it allows of" "no time for departure, and might involve his majesty in " "disputes with the United States. H. M. council are of"

opinion the legislature of Nova Scotia can have no right to "regulate the foreign trade of the province, which always has "been under the immediate control and management of the " "mother country." (The present provincial act fixes one league within which vessels engaged in smuggling may be seized.)

The sum of £250 was voted to procure a survey of a canal from the bason of Minas to the harbor of Halifax, by the Shubenacadie route. Ten acts were passed, one was for building an edifice in which to hold the meetings of the Assembly, courts of law, and public offices. The assembly was prorogued 10 July.

At this date over 400 of the militia were already in the Halifax garrison, and the rest of the 600 were expected there very soon. In addition 2000 more select men were under orders to come in on the shortest notice in case of any attempt to be made by the enemy. Prince Edward requested that

another battalion should be embodied and called into the garrison, but Sir John Wentworth was unwilling to accede to it and remonstrated with him by letter, shewing the ill effects it would produce upon the people and their agriculture.

Mr. Ochterlony having, as Sir John states, fomented discontent among the Maroons, was removed, and captain Alexander Howe, of the R. N. S. regiment, appointed to take charge of them. --The inhabitants of Parrsborough applied to the governor and council, to be annexed to the county of Cumberland, and heads of families at fort Lawrence to be made part of Amherst township. They were directed to be heard on this subject, in council, on 10 October next, at which time the enquiry was postponed until 8 March, 1798. (Recently only has Parrsborough been separated from King's county, and annexed to Cumberland.)

On the 7 July, David McLane, an American citizen, was tried and convicted of treason, at Quebec. He was defended

by Messrs. Pyke and Francklin, the former of whom was a son of Mr. Pyke of Halifax, the other, I suppose, a son of lieut. governor Francklin. McLean was executed 21 July, with most of the barbarous proceedings of hanging, decapitation, embowelling, &c. (It was this season that the great mutiny of the fleet, at the Nore, took place.)

The birth day of the prince of Wales was celebrated with salutes, levees, and banquets, given by the prince Edward and by the lieut. governor. 17 August, lieut. Charles Thomas, of H. M. 7th regiment, a cousin of Sir John Wentworth, died at government house, in the 25th year of his age. He is said to have been shot accidentaly by a brother officer. Prince Edward lamented him much, and erected a monument over The family were of long standing among the gentry of New England. Nathaniel Ray Thomas was collector at Windsor, and his daughter (an only child) was married to the present judge Wilkins, of this province. They came here, I believe, as loyalists. I find the following notice in a Halifax paper of 31 July, 1862, among the deaths:

his grave.

"On the 12th inst., at the Blanche, in the county of Shelburne, Elam Thomas, son of colonel Thomas, in the 78th year of his age. The father of the deceased was a colonel in the ranks of the loyalists, who left for these provinces in 1783; his son Elam was born on the passage to Nova Scotia."

On saturday, 9 September, Sir John Wentworth met the council. Messrs. Henry Newton, A. Brymer, Charles Morris, S. S. Blowers, and B. Wentworth, were present. His excellency laid before them the resignation of chief justice Strange, who had accepted an appointment in Bombay, of recorder of fort St. George, and was married and knighted before he went to India, and stated that he had his majesty's approval to make attorney general Blowers, chief justice-solicitor general Uniacke, attorney general, and Jonathan Sterns, solicitor general. Mr. Blowers was sworn in as chief justice, and Mr. Uniacke as attorney general; and the new chief justice took his seat as president of the council: and on the 12th, Mr. Sterns was sworn in before the lieut. governor and council as solicitor general. Sir Thomas Strange made a present of his

law library to the province of Nova Scotia. It became the nucleus of the present library of the bar at Halifax. At this time an attack on Canada by a French squadron was threatened, a malignant fever (yellow fever) had again appeared in Philadelphia, and the Irish brigade of Dillon, 1200 strong, which embarked at Cork on 27 July, was daily expected at Halifax. 3 Oct'r. Michael Wallace was appointed and sworn in as treasurer of the province, on the resignation of Mr. Benning Wentworth.

We find George Brinley commissary and storekeeper general in this garrison in October, 1797. His wife was a Wentworth, sister to lady Wentworth. Benning Wentworth was a brother to both these ladies. William Birch Brinley, his son, married Joanna Allen, daughter of John Allen, esq'r., of Preston, N. S, and the only child of this marriage is the widow of Mr. William Lawson. Mrs. Gore, deceased, the novelist, was grand daughter of George Brinley, the commissary general, her mother, Mrs. Moody, being his daughter.

The embodied militia were discharged 24 October. Sir John Wentworth recommends that judge Brenton should have the seat in H. M. council, vacant by chief justice Strange's resignation; and Andrew Belcher, esq'r., merchant, Halifax, (son of the late chief justice Belcher), to be a member of the council. Nov'r. 8. Six ships of war, commanded by admiral Vandeput, sailed from Halifax on a cruise.

On thursday, 23 November, H. M. S. LaTribune, captain Barker, was lost in coming into Halifax harbor. She struck on Thrum Cap shoal, after a time she got off, but was sunk off the mouth of Herring cove. A boy, 13 years old, of that place, saved several lives, being the first to venture near her the next day. Only 12 of the ship's company were rescued, among whom was Mr. John Galvin, a master's mate in the navy, who was a passenger in her. Lieut. James, two noncommissioned officers and four privates of the Nova Scotia regiment, who had gone to their rescue, perished. It is the tradition that captain Barker refused to let any one leave the vessel, and would neither abandon her or suffer those on board to save their lives, and that he complained that no commis

sioned officer had been sent to him from admiral Murray to justify his leaving the ship to her fate. It is also said that Mr. Galvin, who knew the port well, had offered advice and assistance when she got first ashore, but was repulsed as obtruding his services. The prince Edward, as lieut. general in command, gave his official thanks to lieutenants Halliburton, Campbell and Nooth, of the 7th regiment Royal Fusileers, called the Prince's regiment, for their exertions in manning boats sent to help the wreck. (Lieut. Halliburton was son of doctor Halliburton. Leaving the army he became judge, and chief justice Sir Brenton Halliburton.) Mrs. Fletcher, of Yarmouth, (née McKinnon), wrote some pathetic verses on this melancholy disaster. I regret I have not seen this poem.

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XIII.

(1. (

23 Feb'y., 1797, died, Mr. Jacob Hurd, in 71st year of his age, leaving a widow and large family.

14 March, 1797, died, in her 16th year, miss Hester Wallace, eldest daughter of Michael Wallace, esq'r., merchant here. (Her mother was a miss Kerby.) Dec'r. 22, friday, died, Mrs. Binney, wife of Jonathan Binney, esq'r.. in 75th year of her age.

(2.)

[Sir John Wentworth writes to Phineas Bond, esquire.}

17 February, 1797. "Dear Sir. I am exceedingly obliged in your favor inclosing a newspaper and Peter Porcupine's December Censor, which has afforded great amusement to his Royal Highness Prince Edward and to myself. He is certainly an useful as well as an entertaining writer, and I am glad to find his works likely to be circulated in a daily paper of his own, which obtains many subscribers in this province." Recommends Mr. Quarrel and Lieut. Thomas.

He writes same date to Sir John Temple, recommending Quarrel and Thomas. Of the latter he says: "His family were formerly known to you in New Eng.”

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land; and this young man's deportment is so deservedly approved, that I am” "much interested in his prosperity," &c. In a letter to Mr. Liston he calls Thomas his kinsman.