PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.
136
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It will not be denied that some of the people then broke
the law, though in only trifling matters' but the organs
of the Opposition magnified the matter, and endeavored
to prove that the country was in a state of rebellion.
What was the reason the association was denounced by
these organs? Because it had opposed Confederation.
If it had not been for the influence of the Tenant Union
we would probably have been in Confederation to-day;
if we had not opposed the latter vigorously, we might
have been pushed into it. The tenantry were blamed
for burning barns and houses, and for threatening to
take the lives of their neighbours, because they opposed
the proprietry system and Confederation. The Posse
Commissions was turned out to assist the Sheriff, and a
splenind affair it was. But there was no man who did
not beleive that the late Government had some other
and in view, when they endeavored to make matters
appear a thousand times worse than they really were.
PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.
137
That Government must have known that they could not
stifle public opinion by bringing the troops here; but
we must make some allowance for the hon. member for
Murray Harbor, as he had been brought up under strong
descipline. He should remember that there is no simile
between this Island and the antipodes, and that the spirit
of British Americans cannot be kept down and trodden
upon like that of Europeans. As the Tenant League
was crushed, the people waited patiently till the next
election came round, and then displaced the party that
had trampled upon them. There was a great cause for
the formation of this association, for it would be impossible to get up such an organization
as this without
a reason why. Why did not the Confederate party who
were high in office under the late Government, get up
an association for the purpose of furthering their object?
Simply because that object was unjust and unreasonable.
The Conservatives when in power, could not be mistaken
as to the condition of the country, for even the Spy in his
report showed the stated of the people, and the effects of the
rent-paying system. When we reflect that to man was
given dominion over the creatures, and that no man has
a right to claim exclusive right to the lands of any country, is it any wonder that
the law was broken in this
instance? The troops were brought here to damage the
character of the people of this Island as much as possible
—to create the impression in the Mother Country that
we were not worthy or capable of governing ourselves;
and thereby to get this Colony forced into Confederation
against the consent of its inhabitants. But I do not
say that all the members of the late Government had
this object in view. Such despotic measures and foul
schemes had never been resorted to, even in unhappy
Ireland on the eve of its union with Great Britain. I
believe the hon. Leader of the Opposition was favorable to Confederation because he
thought it would be a
benefit to his country; since the people were opposed to
it, he thought it no harm to do evil that good might
come. We know that Brutus said that he killed his
best friend for the good of Rome; but I shall say no
more about the hon. Leader of the Opposition, as he is
not in his place. What had those members of the late
Government who were opposed to Confederation in view;
They must have had some object before them, because
any person who raises his voice in favor of the people
is put down by these hon. members as a political
demagogue, and as one who wishes to make political
capital; or, as the hon. member for Charlottetown calls
it, political dishonesty. If the members of any other
part had acted in the same manner, that hon. member
would say that they were political scoundrels.
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PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.
142
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Hon. ATTORNEY GENERAL —No. We know that in
this Island every teacher who received a license had to
speak the English language, and the French teachers
who qualified themselves for that office had to first learn
the English language. This resolution provides that
any teacher who will qualify himself to teach the
French language, and who can obtain a certificate to
that effect, shall be entitled to receive £5 additional
salary from the Treasury, provided the district will
make up the same amount. The French language is regarded as the best, and many consider
it well worth
learning, and no scholar feels that his education is complete without he knows it.
If we should happen to be
driven into the Dominion, and any hon. members from
this House should go there, they would find it would be
an advantage to understand it. I believe all Ambassadors of the Crown require to understand
French, and
that their correspondence is carried on in that language.
Mr. BRECKEN.— Mr. Chairman, no doubt any education is incomplete without a knowledge of French,
but I
do not agree with the learned Attorney General that it
is the best language, although I admit that in Europe
every person is expected to know it. I doubt whether
instruction in French, as spoken here, would be understood or regarded as French by
good scholars in that
language, for there cannot be any doubt but that, owing
to the isolation of those who speak that language here.
it must have lost among them much of its original
purity. I am rather surprised to hear Confederation
referred to as an argument in favor of the resolution,
for, on that ground alone, some might object to it. But
we may yet be brought into contact with our neighbors
in Canada, and, if so, it would be well for our people to
be acquainted with the French language. if it is intended as an encouragement for
the cultivation of that
language in its purity, it would be money well appropriated ; but it would be well
to know if it is wholly
intended for the few French teachers of the Island.
[...]
Hon. Mr. HENDERSON.— I have no objection to do
full justice to the French people, but I doubt the utility
of teaching that language in our common schools, or
that a large number will ever be required to go from
here to represent us in the New Dominion. You know ,
Sir, as well as I do, that the French teachers, before
they can now receive a License, have to first learn a
language that is not their vernacular, and the Gaelic,
people have to graft the English upon their mother
tongue before they can become teachers, and these
people love their Gaelic just as much as it is possible for
any people to esteem a language. If this resolution is
to be carried, I would like to introduce a similar one in
favor of the Gaelic speaking people of this Island. for I
think it will be admitted that they were on a par with
those who have to graft the native Saxon upon their
French. One thing I have observed is, that the French
people of this Island use more words of broken English
than the same class do in Lower Canada, or did when I
was among them. The Gaelic speaking people are entitled to the same privileges that
the French are.
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Mr. ARSENAULT.— Mr. Chairman, the hon. member for
Charlottotown (Mr. B ) is doubtful whether the French
language spoken in this Island is French at all, and is
doubtful if it is as good as that which is spoken in France
or Canada. Well I do not know much about the French
language as spoken in France, as I have never been
there, but I presume it is the same language as is contained in books written in French
and when we use
these same books in our schools I do not see why we
should learn good French ; and as to Canada I believe
the French inhabitants of this Island speak the language
PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.
143
as well as they do in Canada. In the second place he
asks if this privilege is intended for French teachers
only, but, Sir, the resolution does not apply any more to
French teachers than to any other, so far as I understand,
but simply to those teachers who will qualify themselves
to teach the French language, and shall teach a class of
not less than ten pupils in his or her school. Now, I
ask is there anything unfair when it is intended to apply
to all alike ? or even if the Government allowance was
given to teachers teaching the French language only to the
French speaking people of this Island, when their teachers
are as well qualified in the French language, as the
English speaking teachers are in the English language,
that there would be anything unfair in it. But when all
that is asked for in the resolution is a small allowance
for an encouragement to teach the French language, I
do not think any liberal minded gentleman will refuse it.
The hon member for Murray Harbor asks what is the
utility of the French language on this Island? and asks
why not encourage the Gaelic as well? I will somply say
this, that we sometimes hear French phrases used in this
hon. House, and I am frequently amused at the awkward
pronunciation given to them (laughter) for instead of
pronouncing them with that soft accent with which they
should be pronounced, they always use the hard, sharp
English pronunciation. A to the Gaelic, we never hear
a word of it. If we go to the other side of this building,
where all the big volumes are kept, we will find among
them a good many in French, but none in Gaelic. Al-
though I am not an admirer of Confederation, yet, what
do we know but at some future time we may form a part
of the New Dominion, and I ask in what position would
any of our Island delegates to Ottawa find themselves in
if they did not understand the French language. When
a speech in that language would be delivered, no doubt
they would like to be able to understand the language
then. I feel pleased that this small encouragement is
proposed to be given to encourage the study of that language, and only regret the
number of whom it is proposed to be given is limited to twenty. I would prefer
that all our teachers would qualify themselves to teach
that language, and thereby diffuse a knowledge of it
throughout the Island.
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