500

sequent election either by acclamation or by an overwhelming majority, and has there- fore the record of thirty-three years’ contin- uous service in the Legislature of this pro- vince. For many years he had as colleague Hon. John Yeo, now Senator Yeo, and the names of Yeo and Richards figure promi- nently in the history of the Liberal party in Prince Edward Island.

Mr. Richards was a member of the Executive Council of the Provincial Govern- ment for almost thirteen years, and on more than one occasion, when the cabinet was reconstructed he has been mentioned in con- nection with the Premiership, a position he has been unable to'accept, as his extensive business interests in the western part of the province precluded his close attention to, and personal supervision of, the duties attached to that office.

During his long legislative career he has been associated with the passing of many important measures, including the Land Purchase Act, the Education Act and others having a special bearing on the interests of his constituency, one of the best agricultural and fishing sections of the province.

Mr. Richards is one of the most graceful and effective speakers that have ever added prestige to the Provincial Legislature. Gen- tlemanly courtesy invariably extended to his opponents, a literary style reflecting the influ- ence of a liberal education, a thorough grasp of the subject under discussion, characterize his speeches in the House and on the politi- cal platform. His thorough knowledge of the questions of the day, his extensive busi- ness experience, his executive ability com- bined with sound and matured judgment have won for him the confidence of his col- leagues in the Legislature and of his con- stituents. In 1904 he contested the county

PAST AND PRESENT OF

of Prince as a candidate for the Federal Parliament, but he missed election by a nar- row margin.

Mr. Richards is a gentleman of fine address and engaging personality, a splendid type of the honourable and honoured politician.

REV. PETER C. GAUTHIER, D. D., the able and popular priest in charge of the Catholic church at St. Louis, Prince county, was born at Rustico, this province, on May 14, 1866, and is a son of Zachariah and Mary (Blanchard) Gauthier. The father was born at Rustico and was a fisherman. He died in 1904 and his widow is now mak- ing her home with the subject of this sketch.

The latter received a good district school education at Rustico and New Glasgow and made such progress that he was given a license to teach, which vocation he followed for four years. He was again a student for a time and then for four years engaged in teaching in St. Dunstan’s College at Char- lottetown, following which he went to Quebec and took a three years’ course in theology. Returning then to St. Dunstan’s College at Charlottetown, he was engaged in teaching philosophy and French six years longer and then in 1902 became pastor of the Palmer Road Parish. During the sum- mer of this same year Laval University con- ferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Palmer Road Parish is an exten- sive one, embracing about three hundred and twenty-five families, and entails a vast amount of work on Father Gauthier. Father Gauthier possesses not only a splen- did education. both literary and theological, but is a natural orator as well and his pulpit utterances are not only thoughtful and schol-