102 HISTORY or PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

government, it was suggested that the treasurer, colonial secretary, attorney general, and surveyor general should not be required to resign, but that they should be required to give a constitutional support to the measures of" government. In closing the session, the governor intimated his intention of giving the address which had been voted by the house his cordial support.

As the governor’s term of oiiice was about to expire, a petition was get up by his friends, praying for his con— tinuance in office. This movement stimulated a counter movement on the part of an influential section of the com- munity, who were antagonistic t0 the governor, and, con- sequently, a counter petition was framed, and a subscription set on foot to pay the expenses of a deputation to convey the petition to England. The deputation consisted of the follow- ing gentlemen: Mr. Joseph Pope, speaker of the house of assembly, Mr. Edward Palmer, and Mr. Andrew Duncan, a prominent merchant. The main grounds on which the con- tinuance in otlice of the governor was objected to were the following :—That he had recently coalesced with parties who had been unremitting in their endeavors to bring his person and government into contempt; that he had shown a disin- clination to advance the real interests of the colony, by withdrawing his patronage and support from all public so- cieties in the island, because the legislature had declined to accede to his application for an increase of salary from the public funds ; that on one occasion, through the colonial secre‘ tary, he publicly denounced every member of society who would dare to partake of the hospitality of a gentleman—a member of the legislative council—who was then politically opposed to him; that he had, on various oe-asions, im- properly exercised the power given to him by the Queen, by appointing parties totally unqualified by education and posi-

l l