96 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Gregory Townsend, the Commissary at Halifax, writes to Win- 

 slow on the 29th July, 1784: "Major Coffin and his coadjutors have 

 declared war against the Governor and Chief Justice and are to have 

 a pitched battle to-morrow in the Council Chamber." 



Coffin's coadjutors were Gilfred Studholme, William Tyng, 

 George Leonard and James Peters, who voluntarily repaired to 

 Halifax and submitted thsmselves to trial before Governor Parr, 

 Lieut. -Governor Fanning and the Council of Nova Scotia, Chief 

 Justice Finucane also being present. After a public hearing of two 

 days the following was the decision : 



"The Council are of the opinion that Gilfred Studholme, William Tyng, George 

 Leonard, John Cofhn and James Peters, magistrates and agents on the River St. 

 John, have acquitted themselves in their conduct with fairness, impartiality and 

 propriety." 



(Signed) RICHARD BULKELEY. 



Secretary. 

 Halifax, 3rd August, 1784. 



We need not pursue the inquiry further. It left the line of cleavage 

 between the opposing parties in Parr-town more distinct than before, 

 and established Hardy as the leader of the democracy. 



Hardy's legal ability led to his being employed by the govern- 

 ment of Nova Scotia (previous to the division of the province) in 

 promoting the escheat of lands on the River St. John, which were 

 unimproved, for the accommodation of the loyalists. 



The visit of Chief Justice Finucane to St. John — supposedly in 

 the interests of loyalists seeking lands for settlement — had one curious 

 result, namely, that on his return to Halifax, Finucane obtained for 

 himself from Parr a grant of Sugar Island in the St. John River (con- 

 taining 500 acres of fine alluvial land), situated about eight miles 

 above Fredericton. The island had been reserved for the disbanded 

 Prince of Wales American Regiment and Captain Edward Stelle and 

 other officers and men of the regiment took possession. The result 

 was the first ejectment trial in New Brunswick, the case of "Finucane 

 vs. Stelle." It came to trial in 1787; Bliss and Hardy for the plaintiff, 

 Wylly and Chipman for the defendant. Finucane was non-suited. 

 The case was argued on appeal, pro and con, by Hardy and Chipman, 

 and judgment reversed. Chipman subsequently carried the case to 

 the King in Council, who upheld the original judgment. The trial 

 excited much interest, not only in Fredericton and St. John but also 

 in Halifax. 



At this time communication with Halifax was difficult. There 

 were no Courts north of the Bay of Fundy, and what is now New 

 Brunswick had only four members in the Nova Scotia House of 



