66 "Nova Scotia, and consider them at present as the happiest and most favored "people on the globe, I trust they feel with me the superior advantages of their 'situation, in being possessed of a Constitution which affords protection to their persons and property, and in enjoying every blessing which a wise and affec"tionate king can dispense to his faithful subjects." (2.) Monday, 8 April. Died, Foster Hutchinson, esquire, formerly a member of Council, Judge of Probate and Judge of Superior Court in Massachusetts province. Married, at Lunenburg, on tuesday, 13 August, Lewis M. Wilkins, esquire, Sheriff for the county of Halifax, to Miss Sarah Creighton, daughter of colonel Creighton, of that place. [Halifax Journal, Thursday, August 8, 1799.] Married, on Thursday evening, by the Rev'd. Mr. Wright, Lieutenant Hutton Rowe, of the Royal Fusiliers, to Miss Geddes, only daughter of Mr. Charles Geddes. At St. John, N. B., on Monday, the 22d ult., Thomas Desbrisay, Esq., Lieut. Colonel of His Majesty's Royal Regiment of Artillery, to Miss Anna Byles, daughter of the Rev'd. Doctor Byles, Rector of that city, and Chaplain of New Brunswick. Died at Windsor, Saturday, 5 October, 1799, George Francklin, esq'r., son or the late Michael Francklin, esq'r., formerly the Governor of this province. He was on a visit to his friends, from Quebec, where he was established as a lawyer. His health is supposed to have been impaired by close application. Died, Sunday, Nov'r L, Mr. Peter McNab, senior. Funeral from the house of Mr. John Ross. Died, at Musquodoboit, ou thursday, 21st Nov'r., the Rev'd. James Murdoch, aged 55 years, (my grandfather.) Mr. M. was a native of Ireland, and came over to this province 32 years since (1767) as Presbyterian minister for Cumberland. He has been settled about 8 years at Musquodoboit. His death is much lamented by the inhabitants of that settlement and by his family, he having left a widow and 10 children. (He was previously minister at Horton.) (3.) £200 was granted on the estimate in favor of St. George's church, Halifax. (4.) An act passed in the island of St. John, in November, 1798, to change the name of the island to "Prince Edward island," was confirmed by the king in council, St. James, 1 Feb'y., 1799, and published by lieutenant governor Edward Fanning, 13 June, 1799. CHAPTER XVI. 1800. Sir John Wentworth mentions in a letter to Mr. King, the under-secretary of state, 20 January, that a Mr. Ross was living at Maroon Hall, endeavoring to give these people 'good impressions of the country whereto he is to attend ' 'them.' He also mentions two French emigrant families"the family of Calonne, now emigrants at Prince Edward" "island," and "the Longueville family, who have resided" "here for several years past." They wished to settle on the Maroon farm.-31 January, the duke of Kent, accompanied by the general Bowyer, and their suites, went to visit the military posts at Windsor and Annapolis, and returned to Halifax on saturday, Feb'y. I. The assembly met thursday, the 20 February, (8th general assembly, Ist session.) The members returned were: County of Halifax : *William Cottnam Tonge, *Edward Mortimer, *James Fulton, *Charles Morris. County of Annapolis: *Thomas Millidge, *James Moody. 39 64 Lunenburg Casper Wollenhaupt, Lewis Morris. Wilkins. Cumberland: *Thomas Roach, *George Oxley. Sydney Joseph Marshall, William Campbell. Town of Halifax : *William Cochran, *John George Pyke. Truro: Simon Bradstreet Robie. The 28 members marked * attended, and were sworn in by a committee of council. (Mr. William Campbell, the member for Sydney county, became attorney general of cape Breton, and in 1811 a judge in Upper Canada--in 1825, chief justice of that province, and was knighted. He had been in a subordinate capacity in the army before the peace of 1783. [See Morgan's Celebrated Canadians, p. 238.] He married miss Hadley, of Guysborough.) Mr. Millidge proposed Uniacke for speaker, and Mr. Moody named Tonge. Uniacke was chosen, and, having been approved of by the lieutenant governor, claimed the usual privileges. Sir John Wentworth, in his opening speech, adverts to the loyalty of the province-the harmony which had prevailed since his appointment-the protection they had from the contagious diseases that affected adjoining countries, and from the ravages of war,-the return of the prince. He also referred to the liberal grants made by the last assembly for public buildings and roads, which had met his majesty's approbation. He mentioned the want of a road on the Eastern shore, from Antigonishe and Manchester to Halifax,-the losses of merchants by captures, and the want of money in circulation, which he suggested should induce them to lower the duties on spirits and wines. On thursday, 27 February, both houses replied in echo to the speech; and on friday, 28th, the house addressed the prince duke of Kent in eulogistic terms. — Several seats were contested. Mr. Wallace petitioned against Mr. Tonge, as not having the freehold qualification for the county of Halifax; Mr. Belcher against Mr. Pyke's return for the town of Halifax, as not having a majority of good votes on the scrutiny. The seats of Mr. Lovett, for town of Annapolis, -of Mr. Morton, for Cornwallis,- Mr. Bolman, for town of Lunenburg, and Mr. Wilkins, for county of Lunenburg, were severally petitioned against. The act for trying elections by committee had not then been passed, and consequently the whole house heard and decided these questions. Mr. Tonge was declared not qualified to represent the county of Halifax' on a division 21 to 5, on the 25th February; and after hearing Mr. Wallace's counsel, the house resolved that a new writ should issue for the seat so made void. On the 14 March, the return of Mr. Pyke for the town of Halifax was also declared void, and a new writ issued. The other election petitions were heard and dismissed. On saturday, 22 March, the candidates for the vacant seat for Halifax county were Michael Wallace and James Kent. On tuesday following, Kent withdrew, having received but 7 votes, Wallace 437, and the latter was accordingly declared duly elected. The town election was opened at Halifax, wednesday, 9 April, and closed on the 14th, when Pyke had 131 votes, Belcher 196, so the latter was returned member. As Mr. Tonge had been chosen for Newport, the result of the six petitions was only to substitute Belcher for Pyke, and give Wallace a seat. The township of Clements petitioned to be allowed a representative. 37 February, Wollenhaupt and Bolman attended, and were sworn in; 8 March, Cox and Gracie; 10 March, G. H. Monk; 21 March, Utley; 22d, Colin Campbell and Sargent; 26th, M. Wallace. -12 March. The house resolved to attend St. Paul's church, where Mr. Stanser, chaplain of the house, preached before them. On the 16th, they ordered his sermon to be printed, (18 March), and they also resolved that Scrope Bernard, esq., should be agent for the province, resident in London. 22nd, sums of £5000 and £2025 voted for roads and bridges. 28th, the committee recommend a renewal of the lease of building for assembly and courts of justice, hired from messrs. Cochran, for three years more. (This was a large wooden building, where the new post office is now going up.) The public accounts, made up to 31 Dec'r., 1799, and laid before the house 29 March, 1800, shewed a sum of £22,970 9 10 currency, balance unappropriated in favor of the province. Of the amount estimated for available securities for duties, £15,000 was in the hands of the collectors of impost and excise at Halifax, and the attorney general; and £2,226 os. 4 d. in the hands of the outport collectors. The probable drawbacks on exportation, &c., had been deducted in the calculation. The house having passed one bill to continne several revenue acts, H. M. council, 15 April, replied, objecting to this method as one which compelled them to assent to or to refuse all the acts included. Next day the house answered, referring to the lateness of the session; but on the 22nd, the council persisted in requiring separate acts to be sent them. 23d, the house addressed the lieutenant governor on this controversy. Saturday, 26th, he replied, considering it as a mere question of form, and recommending the house to send up separate bills. 29 April, small sums were voted to the speaker and officers of the house and deputy clerk of council, in addition to the previous salaries; and £50 to F. Hutchinson, (a barrister), for drawing bills. A letter from the duke of Portland at this time intimated, that where an act passed, requiring expressly the royal confirmation, if it were not approved within three years, it was to be considered as disallowed. Nineteen acts were passed in this session. On friday, 2 May, the speaker, in presenting the appropriation act, addressed his excellency, |