Report of Society's Meetings. 397 
Mr. Nind argued that the term " politics" in the So- 
ciety's charter referred to those political questions brought 
before the Court of Policy, which should not be dis- 
cussed here where there might be heated arguments and 
pressure brought to bear upon members of the Court. 
He was very much in favour of this motion as he thought 
it was our duty to do all we could in the matter. Any 
thinking man would see that the situation is this : that 
the Home Government are doing all that they can for 
the United States entering into a reciprocity treaty with 
the West Indies, and it is not likely that the United 
States will make any treaty unless preference is given to 
their manufactures, and that means this : that England 
will lose ten or twelve millions sterling in trade, and in 
the course of time British manufactures will be excluded 
from this colony, the Union Jack will be hauled down and 
the Stars and Stripes hoisted in its place. That might be a 
very good thing but, he supposed he was talking politics 
and he hoped they would pardon him (laughter). If we are 
to be incorporated with Canada, we should still make a 
better stand if we were joined to the West India Islands 
than by being by ourselves ; the same argument applies 
to the United States. With regard to the motion, he 
thought it one the Society could grant, and one which at 
the present moment it should grant. 
Mr. Sherlock said : If anything is needed to convince 
one that the subje6t which has been initiated would very 
soon reduce itself into a discussion of politics, the very 
able speech of Mr. Nind would do so. The Elective mem- 
bers of the Court of Policy had sent home a petition, one 
had gone from the planters, and another from the gene- 
ral inhabitants of the colony. A letter has already been 
3 D 2 
