2
THE NEWFOUNDLANDER
FRIDAY, Feb. 19
The House met at 11 o'clock, A. M.
At 12 Âş'clock the SPEAKER and the whole
House proceeded to Government House, and
presented to his Excellengy the address in reply
to his opening speech, and being returned,
The SPEAKER informed the House that while at
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THE NEWFOUNDLANDER.
atendance on his Excellency the Governor, at
Government House, he had presented to his
Excellency the address of thanks, to which his
Excellency the made the following reply:—
Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Honorable House
of Assembly.
I receive your Address with much gratification. I
am glad to be assured of approval of the course taken
the Government, with regard to the Proclamation
noyifying that Government relief would in future be
confined to destitue widows and orphans and the sick
and infirm poor. I am satisfied that strict adherence
to this course is essential to the future well, being of
the whole community. It is the interest, no less then
the duty, of all those who can render any aid to the
more necessitous of their fellow citizens, by doing so
to assist the Government in their effort to rid the
Colony of the vicious system which has hitherto
paralyzed all healthy energy, and so greatly promoted
imprudence among large numbers of its population.
Her Majesty's Government will learn with saisfaction that you are prepared to take
action on the
question of Union with the Dominion of Canada;
and I have no doubt that pou will be able to settle
such terms of arrangement for this purpose as will be
acceptable to the Government of the Dominion, while
materially conducive to the interests of this Colony.
In this case the good sense of the constituencies can
scarcely permit them to withold their approval of
such an arrangement: and its ratification by Her
Majesty may confidently be anticipated.
Mr. HYATT asked and obtained leave of absence
for the remainder of the session.
The
Hon. ATTORNEY GENERAL then said he
was sure that all had heard with deep regret the
melancholy intelligence which had just been received, of the death of the Hon. JAMES
CORMACK.
All who knew him respected him. He had been
a long time engaged in the business of the colony,
and perhaps no where would his loss be more
deeply felt than in the locality where he had so
long resided. He had for many years occupied a
high public position as a Legislative Councillor,
and his strict attention to his duties had me with
the approbation of all. He (hon. A.G.) was sure
that this House would testify its respect and sympathy for his
[?], by adjourning until Monday
next. He therefore moved that the House do now
adjourn, out of respect to the memory of the Hon.
James Cormack, M. L. C., of whose death news
has iust been received, and in token of the high
esteem in which the deceased gentleman was
held, and ot the sympathy felt by this House with
his widow and family.
Mr. GLEN begged to second the mition. The
late hon. Mr. Cormack was a worthy gentleman,
one whose loss we must all deeply deplore, and it
was but right that we should thus recognise his
merits, and pay a tribute of respect to his memory.
The
Hon. RECIEVER GENERAL was indeed
pleased to see this disposition on the part of the
House to respect the memory of a gentleman who
had been alike an honor to his native and his
adopted country, in every relation of life in which
he had been placed. He had been an
honorable merchant, and had done much
service to the people ot the locality in
which he had so long resided, and carried on
a large commercial business. Commercially
his worth was well known, and he diffused comfort and happiness amongst all about
him, by
whom he would now be deeply missed. In his
political sphere he had discharged his duty creditably to himself. He (hon. R. G.)
was now himself fast approaching the "sere and yellow leaf,"
and thus he the more deeply felt the deprivation
which the country had sustained, is the loss of a
public man and a good citizen, while he privately
mourned the loss of a valued and attached friend.
Mr. HOGSETT fully participated in the feelings
of hon. gentlemen. The death of such a man as
the hon. James Cormack was a loss which the
community at large felt.
Mr. PINSENT might, under ordinary circumstances, not have given voal expression
to feelings which might be as well evidenced
by silence, particularly after the apt manner
in which hon. gentlemen who had preceded him
referred to the deceased gentleman. But he
had peculiar reasons for not allowing the occasion to pass without express reference
on his
part to one, the recollection of whom had been
associated with his earliest years, for whom he
had ever possessed a warm friendship and
regard, and who, besides the associations of
private life, had been for some years a brother
member in the co-ordinate branch of the Legislature, the Legislative Council. He (Mr.
P.)
could therefore speak of the deceased non-gentleman, in both his public and private
relations
of life, from intimate experience. He discharged both most worthily, and his genial
disposition,
urbane mauners, and liberal mind, had made
him endeared and respected by all who had the
pleasure of his acquaintance. For these reasons
he (Mr. P.) could not do otherwise than give
open expression to his sympathy, with the hon.
gentleman's family, and public tribute to the
memory of the deceased.
The House then adjourned until Monday at
3 o'clock.
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