SKETCH or non. E. WHELAN. 197

Halifax, Nova Scotia, where, shortly after his arrival, he entered the printing—office of the HonO'able Joseph Howe, then a newspaper publisher in that city. Here he gave such proofs of that great facility for newspaper writing which distinguished him in after life that he was occasionally employed to write editorial articles for Mr. Howe’s news- paper during the absence or illness of the latter. At the age of eighteen he came to Prince Edward Island, which was then ruled by parties who could scarcely be said to be amenable to public opinion. hIr. \Vhelan, ranging himself on the side of the people, threw the weight of his influence as a journalist into the struggle for popular rights.

In 1851, Mr. thelan married Miss Mary l\Iajor Hughes, daughter of Mr. George A. Hughes, of Her Majesty’s Commissariat Department at Halifax, by whom he had two daughters—who died some time previous to his own deeease—and one son,—an excellent youth, who perished by a boat accident in Charlottetown harbor, on Dominion Day, in the current year.

Apart from Mr. \thlan’s oratorieal power,——in which he excelled,—the great lever of public opinion, so powerful throughout the British dominions, obeyed his masterly hand as often as any lair ne‘asion arose to resort to its agency. His political opponents will acknowledge that he never abused the power of the press, and that he knew how to combine a psingularly consistent political career with concil- iatory manners. Edward “'lielan’s nature rcroltcd from any mean or vindictive action. He neither bullied his opponents nor begged favors; he relied upon the strong innate love of justice oti every intelligent mind; and, although he died compa 'atively young, he lived long enough to see, to a large extent, the results of' his labors in the extension of civil liberty.