104 msrom’ or PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

themselves: first, whether it would be proper to endeavor to restore this depreciated currency to its original value ; or, secondly, whether it would not be better to fix its ‘alue at its present rate, taking the necessary measures for preventing its Further depreciation. He recommended the latter course, as more injustice was usually done by restoring a depreciated currency to its original value than by fixing it at the value which it might actually hear. To prevent further deprecia— tion, he recommended that the legislature should pass a law enacting that, the existing treasury warrants should be ex- changed for treasury notes to the same amount, and that these notes should be declared a legal tender; that it should not be lawful to make any further issue of treasury notes, except in exchange for the precious metals, the coins of different countries being taken at the value they bore in circulation, and that the treasury notes should be made exchangeable at the pleasure of the holders for coin at the same rate. In order to enable the colonial treasurer, or such other officer as might be charged with the currency account, to meet any demands which might be made upon him for coin in exchange for treasury notes, it might be necessary to raise a moderate sum by loan, or otherwise, for that purpose. Though these suggestions were not entirely :‘u'ried out, yet an act wasmssed in the session of 1849, which determined the rates at which British and foreign coins were to be current, and how debts contracted in the currency of the island were to be payable.

The year 1848 was not remarkable for any historic event in the island,—the takingr of the census being the most noteworthy, when the 1')(‘)pulation vas ascertained to be 62,634. But it was a most memorable year in the history of Europe, for in that year Louis Philippe, the King of the French, vacated the throne, and fled to England for protec-