•18 



minent leader of the Confederate party founded bis 

 calculations when he publicly asserted in the Com- 

 mercial Room that the Government had a measure 

 to propose to the Legislature that the country 

 would be sure to approve of, which would remove 

 their objections to Confederation, and which it is 

 also reported one or more of the members of the 

 Legislature, previously opposed to the measure 

 have said they are willing to accept ? If it be, I 

 should myself be glad to know, — and those who 

 hav'e a still deeper stake in the result of the ques- 

 tion than I have, namely, the Electors generally, 

 would also like to know more clearly than they do 

 at present, — what the meaning of this great boon 

 is ? Is it that all our imports are to come into the 

 country duty free ? or is it that they are to be 

 limited to the exemptions only that existed in the 

 Colony some years past, when salt, nets, lines, 

 twines, and it may be some other articles, were not 

 chargeable with duty ? If so, how inadequate and 

 paltry would be the consideration ! And if these 

 exemptions are to be extended to such articles, 

 when is the extent of such exemptions to be made 

 known? Is it after the resolution has passed the 

 Legislature, with the simple explanation ** all 

 things fit and necessary, and used in the fisheries ?" 

 Or, is it another snare to perpetuate their scheming? 

 or when and by whom is it to be decided what are 

 *' ^^ and necessary V I maintain that it is the 

 produce of the fisheries that pays all the taxes, the 

 public servants, the mechanics, and that supports 

 every person, who resides in the Colony ! and that 

 it is impossible to separate any class from those 

 who actually catch the fish. The expenses of the 

 Government, all our public ofi&cers, the wages of 

 the artisan and the laborer, the food they eat, the 

 Qlpthiog they wear, the freights of our ^ak to mar- 



