54 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 
     
    
   
   
    
     function appertaining to his office, particularly as Judge of the 
     
     Court of Chancery. Notwithstanding the deep snow on the 
     
     ground the meetings were largely attended, and Captain John 
     
     Stewart, of Mount Stewart, a prominent politician, was chosen 
     
     to convey the petition to England to lay before the King. 
     
    
   
   
    
     That Governors ought to be well spoken of is admitted to be 
     
     true, but then that can only be in cases where they deserve to 
     
     be kindly noticed. To do public mischief without being told 
     
     of it is the prerogative and felicity of them who govern where 
     
     chains of slavery prevail, but a free people will show that they 
     
     are so by freedom of speech and discussion. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Thus, for the information of the people, the resolutions 
     
     together with the names of the committee who were chosen 
     
     to manage the complaints against the Governor, were published 
     
     in the Prime Edward Island Regzlrter, a paper edited by Mr. 
     
     J. D. Haszard, which started into existence on the 26th of July 
     
     of this year. Enraged beyond measure, His Excellency 
     
     commenced proceedings in the Court of Chancery against the 
     
     said editor Mr. Haszard and the Committee, of which Captain 
     
     Stewart was chairman, who by the aid of some friend escaped 
     
     with the petitions, and in due time safely arrived in England. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Meantime the Court of Chancery, presided over by His 
     
     Excellency, opened on the 14th of October, when Mr. Haszard, 
     
     the first to appear, was charged with being guilty of con- 
     
     temptuous libel against the court and its officers, but on giving 
     
     the names of the authors of the obnoxious articles complained 
     
     of, he was discharged with rather a severe rebuke from the 
     
     bench. The displeasure of the Governor had now changed 
     
     from the shoulders of the editor to those of the members of the 
     
     committee who were there in custody. However, on the third 
     
     day of the trial they were liberated on their own recognizance, 
     
     subject to be called up at any future time to receive judgment 
     
     of the court. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In reference to the publication of the Regz'rler by Mr. 
     
     Haszard, we find that other newspapers were previously issued 
     
     as follows: Island of St. john Gazette, by J. T. Rynd, in 1792 ; 
     
     272:: Royal IIera/d, by James Bagnall, in 1805, the name of 
     
     which was changed in 1817 to that of Prince Edward Island 
     
     Gazette. 
     
    
   
   
    
     . We have now to notice the demise of Charlottetown’s first