158 ' ' OUR ISLAND STORY

Imperial Government. Acts of the Island Legislaturepassed for the purpose of constraining the proprietors to come to terms with their tenants or with the tenant’s representatives in the Local VGovernment, were repeatedly disallowed by the Crown. In this situation the first inducement to a favorable consideration of terms

._ of Union with Canada by the government and the people of Prince Edward Island was that of getting rid of“Absentee Landlordism.” This inducement was first held out to them by the Hon. James C. Pope. While in London in the autumn of 1866 he had an inter- view with Sir John A. Macdonald and other members of the Canadian Government. "In the course of the interview it was suggested that the sum of $800,000 should be set apart by Canada, in addition to the terms previously offered (and rejected) for the purpose of purchasing the proprietory estates in the Island, As soon as he returned to the Island, Mr. Pope gave publicity to this offer. Then he advocated the construction 'of a railWay from Alberton in the West of the Island to Georgetown in the East. A majority of the people were, after much discussion and agitation,

,.~ persuaded that a railway, was needed; and authority to proceed fg . with railway construction was obtained from the Legislature of which Mr. Pope was Leader. After a Contract for the construc- gl ' . , tion of the proposed railway had been made the Railway govern- -’ . ' . ment was defeated by anti-Confederate and anti-Railway politic- “ .. ians. But they, instead of tearing up the rails already laid and ll l abandoning the work, began the construction of branch railways l V to Tignish in the West and to Souris in the East and to add con- '1'; siderably to the expendituresin which the Island was involved. f i The consequence was that the railway bonds of the Island did not appreciate on the money market, and its public credit drooped. . The anti-Confederate government was consequently constrained - '. to reopen negotiations with the government of Canada. Terms V of union were arrived at, but were not considered by Mr. Pope and

his colleagues to be sufi‘iciently faVorable. On an appeal to the

electorate, Mr. Pope’s party was returned to office and power.

‘3 ll 0 . Then he, with the Hon. George W. Howlan and the Hon. T. Heath l l: Haviland went to Ottawa, and obtained “Better Terms." These I; :,l - terms included the payment by Canada of $800,000 for the pur- l l

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