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in a
Emancipists.
In another column, we publish a letter'
headed as above, and signed An Observer."
Having to often and to fully stated our opinions
upon the subject referred to by our comes
pondent, we scarcely feel justified in repeating
iiWuPfi told tale?' As to any influence of the
public press' upon the intentions, designs, and
acts of those who happen to have the rule over
us, we have only to remind our correspondent
of the Ordnance Bill, which has so recently
passed into a law, in the teeth of the united
voice of the whole public press of the Colony
His Excellency's Legislative Council seem to
have but one duty to perform, which is to
record their honorary assent to His Excellency's
propositions. The
public have no right to condemn His
Excellency for any obnoxious measure that he
may feel bound to enact, u His Excellency
does but obey as he is in duty, and in honour,
bound to do, the instructions he receives from
Downing-street. ' t 4
We have never read thorough subscribed to
i e
by members of the so called Legislative Council,
but we presume that it runs to the following
effect, viz :- That they will truly and faithfully
tender such advice to His Excellency, the Governor,
as to the best of their belief, with most
contribute to the dignity of the crown, and the
welfare and the prosperity of the people. If
this be the common sense substance of a Legislative
¡ Counsellors oath, we leave those ex
officio honourable gentlemen to reconcile s, their
votes upon the Ordnance Bill, with the spirit
of their oaths, as best they can. I say
* With respect to the admission of- EmancU
pasts to municipal offices, we confess we enter
tain no fears upon the subject, We feel con fi
dentist if any of that class ofcolonisfsTshould
hereafter graces the judicial bench;7that"they
willows theirnelectionto office, not to Whatnots
of their own order, but' to those of the^scnfilê:
dependents upon their, bounty. Our objection
to the airmen of Emancipists to political and
x radical; privileges; U founded upon principle,
not upon the expediency. Among that class]
we feel assured there are men, whose experience I
and personal integrity are unquestionable-but
where is the line to be drawn a it is to under-
take the invidious office, of making a selection,
separating, as it were, the sheep from the
goals? If the principle be admitted, no distinction
can be drawn. The men of that party,
whose characters stand fairest in the eyes of
society, are they who will be least of all disposed
to obtrude themselves upon the public
as candidates for magisterial offices.
A specious argument has been adduced upon
this subject, calculated to have weight with
superficial reasoners which is, that the very
desire of the Emancipists to be restored to their
forfeited privileges, is a strong evidence of their
moral reformation. It betokens an anxiety on
their part, to make amends for the past, by
future good conduct. The premises in this
argument are false, the deductions are equally
erroneous. A love of power and distinction,
is an innate passion of the human heart. And
who so likely to sigh for such distinctions, as
those who have placed themselves in a postion
to forfeit their claims to such marks of public
esteem.
We agree with " Observer" in what he says
respecting the admission of Emancipists to the
jury box but on the other hand, it may be contended,
that as this class of persons have been
permitted to accumulate property, they have of
necessity acquired ft moral right to a voice in
the taxation of that property ; the one is a consequent
of the other. It was wrong, perhaps,
to allow them to have, and to hold property in
this Colony but as they have been, and are
allowed 60 to do, we cannot see upon what
principle of fairness they are to be excluded
from a voice, in any measure intended to affect
their property. This privilege might be conceded,
we conceive, without giving them an
opportunity of becoming ex officio magistrates.
As burgesses, they would exercise a direct
influence over the Town or Common Council
men. And as the Common Council will have
the management of the corporate funds, the
Emancipists might be fairly represented in
Council, without their being admitted as Coun
cabmen themselves beyond this, we would not
concede a single step, and with this concession,
we feel assured, the prudent and respectable
portion of the Emancipists would be fully
satisfied.
However, it is vain to think that public
opinion, however temperately and firmly expressed,
will influence the intentions, or grave
deliberations of His Excellency's Legislative
Council. We say that whatever wrongs
colonists have to complain of-those complaints
should be made to the Imperial Parliament.
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