’tL‘\s\or'\ca\ and Descr’wfine
the Colonists into a state of rebellion. The “Tenant League” was formed, meetings were held and the yeomaury of Queen’s County, better known as the “ Posse Commitatus” were called out to suppress the demonstrations. Affairs remained in sfatu qua until 1875, after the union of the Island with Canada, when a sum of $800,000 (under the terms of union) was placed at the service of the Island government for the purchase of the proprietors’ estates, and after the appoint- ment of a commission under the “Land Purchase Act, 1875,” for the purpose of making the awards, the difficulty was finally disposed of. This question has now become a thing of the past, absentee proprietorship has been abolished, and the Provincial Government has purchased the interests of the landlords with the object of making the farmers free- holders. The majority of the tenants have availed them- selves of this immense advantage, and at the present time only about 28,000 acres remain unsold of the 843,981 acquired by the Government ; and of this quantity but 16,000 acres represent land held by parties who have not yet purchased. The remaining 1 2,000 acres may be regarded as the available, uncultivated and vacant Government lands. These consist in the main of barren lands of poor quality, the best having of course been taken up in the first instance, and their price averages from 25 cents to $1 per acre. Parties purchas- ing are required to pay 30 per cent. down and the balance in two vears. Thus did little Prince Edward Island do away with its landlords and throttle forever the bale wire of land- lordism—a question that is only now being grappled with in its sister green isle across the sea.
Armorial On the 14th day of July, 1769, an order was bearings made by His Majesty. King George III, in Council, directing the preparation of a seal for Prince Edward Island, then styled the “ Island of St. John in America ” such seal to bear a device of which the following is a description taken from the Order—in-Councilz—
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