port. In January, two persons perished from the severity of the cold at New Orleans, and the ice was 26 inches on the Potomac. At Halifax it was noticed that Bedford bason, which had not been travelled on (over the ice) since the winter of 1788-1789, was passable for teams until the 15th April; and that the South-east passage was closed by the ice on the 20th January, and remained so until 25th April, when it broke up. [Mr. Wallace's interleaved almanac 1817, ms. note.] In February two men belonging to Lunenburg and one to Margaret's bay, who were on a hunting party, were frozen to death. A public subscription was set on foot at Halifax for the distressed poor, whose number was augmented by persons in want from Newfoundland. £600 is stated to have been given in support of these emigrants by the people of Halifax. In several of the out-harbors vessels were frozen in.

May 21. Lord Dalhousie appointed William Henry Otis Haliburton, and Samuel G. W. Archibald, king's council.

66

Proposals had been made by the British government to that of the United States to endeavor to make an arrangement by which American citizens might be permitted to participate in the fisheries on the coasts of the provinces. The U. S. government declined to negociate, and a circular, dated 24 June, 1817, signed by R. D. George, secretary, was sent to the collectors of customs and collectors of light duties at the different ports of Nova Scotia, by order of the lieutenant governor, stating this refusal, and "that American fishermen are not" permitted to frequent the harbours, bays or creeks of this" province, unless driven into them by actual distress; and " "I have to desire that you, on no account, ask or receive any " light money, anchorage, or any other fees whatsoever, from " "vessels belonging to American subjects." This last clause was understood to apply only to the American fishing vessels. This season the merchants of St. John, N. B., applied to lord Bathurst, complaining that their vessels had to pay unauthorized and exorbitant fees to the British consuls in the United States. The fee exacted from a vessel of 150 tons was ten dollars. Some of the American fishing vessels had been seized here for infringing on our fishing rights, and were pro

secuted in the Vice admiralty court. I find in the Acadian Recorder newspaper, of 6 September, 1817, a decree of Mr. Wallace, then acting as judge, in which he declined to condemn them, on two grounds: 1. That no specific notice had been given by the British to the Americans to desist from fishing on our coast, as they had been used to do; and that they, the fishermen, seemed ignorant of the intentions of our government on the subject. 2. That there was no act of parliament, law, proclamation, order in council or instructions to specify the forfeiture, penalties or punishment incident to their offence. 3. That the negotiations on this subject had been renewed. He decreed the vessels to be restored to the claimants on paying costs, leaving the seizors to appeal, if dissatisfied.

Lord Dalhousie went in H. M. S. Leander, in September, to Pictou, accompanied by admiral Sir David Milne and the commissioners of the Halifax dockyard. He landed there on the 11th, under a salute from the battery. He was received by the magistrates and a detachment of 5th battalion of militia. He also visited Antigonishe, and returned in a few days to Halifax. The theatrical company, Price, Charnock, &c., recommenced their performances in December. A singular offence was committed in the same month by a young man, who stabbed eight of the horses in the ferry team-boat called the Sherbrooke, as they passed him in their movement.

The resolutions of the house respecting the Vice admiralty court had reference chiefly to suits for penalties, particularly those incurred by violations of the laws of trade and navigation. It had been the subject of similar resolutions on the 3 April, 1811, and messrs. Morland and Atcheson, the agents for Nova Scotia in London, brought the matter, by letter, to the notice of lord Bathurst, (27 June), who referred this to the lords of the treasury.

Lord Dalhousie communicated to earl Bathurst (Dec'r. 14, 1817), a proposal, unanimously agreed to by himself and H. M. council for employing the Castine fund. He says: "A se-" "minary for the higher branches of education is much wanted" "in Halifax, the seat of the legislature—of justice—of the"

-to stran

military and mercantile society." Edinburgh college is the model suggested. Professors receive there small salaries. The students attending a class pay 1, 2 or 3 guineas for a ticket for the whole course. It is open to all sects, gers passing a few weeks there,-to the military,—to students of law. The Castine money, after paying general Gosselin, left 10,750. Of this amount the earl wished to set aside £1000 for a different purpose, viz., in aid of the Garrison library in Halifax, just begun. He would then have £9,750 applicable to the college. £3,000 he would apply to a building of stone, to be erected on the Grand parade, and 'sink' 'the remainder,' £6,750, as a fund for the support of the professorships. He says he is aware that this would scarcely be sufficient, without the legislature of the province aided us by an annual vote. The trustees he suggests are--the lieutenant governor, the chief justice, the lord bishop of Nova Scotia, the speaker, the treasurer, and the minister of the Scotch church in Halifax. This project was fully concurred in and authorized by the prince Regent. [Lord Bathurst to earl Dalhousie, 6 Feb'y., 1818.]

Lord Dalhousie had requested of earl Bathurst that the commander of the armed provincial vessel should have a commission to seize smugglers. The lords of the treasury assented to this, but required the name of the commander to be sent, as they considered a blank commission, which had been suggested, would be illegal.

Mr. Ritchie petitioned on behalf of the French Acadians in the district of Clare, for a remission of the fees on their grants of land. Lord Dalhousie sent the petition to the minister, recommending it himself, and the Regent directed the request should be acceded to. The Pictou academy act of 1816 was confirmed by the Regent in council, 17 Sept'r., 1817. Lord Dalhousie had taken measures for placing disbanded soldiers on their lands without waiting for the regular passing of their grants. Lord Bathurst, in his despatch of 15 December, approves of this, but requests the earl to pay the official fees for them out of any funds at his disposal applicable to the purpose.

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XXXI.

(1.)

Died, at Bath, England, Doctor William J. Almon, aged 62, on 5th February, 1817.

Died, at Sackville, N. B., 21 August, 1817, Charles Dixon, esquire, in the 39th year of his age. He came there from England in 1772-was representative for Sackville in the assembly of Nova Scotia, and after the separation of New Brunswick, county member for Westmoreland in the assembly of the latter province. He left 125 descendants in the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland.

(2.)

(From the almanac of 1817.)

His excellency George, earl of Dalhousie, knight grand cross of the most honorable order of the Bath, lieutenant governor and commander in chief in and over his majesty's province of Nova Scotia and its dependencies, vice admiral of the same, &c. &c. &c.

HIS MAJESTY'S COUNCIL.

Hon. Sampson S. Blowers, president, (the chief justice.)

Hon. right reverend Robert, lord bishop of Nova Scotia.

Michael Wallace, Charles Hill, Richard J. Uniacke, Charles Morris, James Stewart, Thomas N. Jeffery, John Black, Brenton Halliburton, P. Wodehouse. Rupert D. George, esquire, secretary.

H. H. Cogswell, esquire, deputy secretary.

CHAPTER XXXII.

1818. The assembly met thursday, 5 February, (10th general assembly, 8th session.) The earl opened the session with a short speech. He mentions the death of the princess Charlotte, on the 6 November previous, -calls their attention, by command of the Regent, to the militia, with a view to its being made more efficient, and to the law passed in 1816 to regulate the export of gypsum. 10 Feb'y. Cereno U. Jones, elected member for the county of Annapolis, in the place of judge Wiswall, was sworn in. Two members of assembly had been arrested in civil actions;-one, Jacob Van Buskirk, member for the county of Shelburne, by admiralty process, remained in custody, the other, Isaiah Shaw, member for Granville, taken under a writ from the Supreme court, had been liberated on account of his privilege as a member, but complained of illtreatment in his arrest. The house, on learning this, appointed a committee of privileges, and referred the enquiry to them.

We now find that, beginning with this session of 1818, the proceedings and some of the debates of the house of assembly are from time to time reported in the weekly newspapers. As the council sat with closed doors, no report of its discussions was possible. The Recorder had been established in 1813, by Anthony Henry Holland, namesake, and, I fancy, godson of the king's printer, A. Henry, of the early times. It appeared first in the war with America, and was open to bold animadversion on the public affairs of the colony, and freely admitted original compositions. Holland