The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-04-18 00:00:00

GOVERNOR AINSLIE

Mr. BENNET; rare to Prel ''''' " Petition from a
very respectably gentleman, Mr. Itichard Gibbon,
who had formerly held the siticition of Attorney-
General at Cape nreton, of which place he was a
colonist and settler. The complaints of this
airman were directed against the public acts of
the Governor (Ainslie), with whose name the
'louse had already been made acquainted, uud

also aphis( the Chief Justice of the PRIM plate.
If the facts winch this Petitioner set forth were
true, the case called for the i tate attention of
his Majesty's Government, eilllghe result, if lie
were rightly informed, must be, that neither the
Governor nor the Chief Justice could any longer
be allowed to retain situations of public trust and
►►spmiribility. The Petitioner complained of acts
of the grossest and most unjustifiable oppression,
of titles to property of long standing being an-
nulled, and private injury moat wantonly inflicted,
tinder the colour of power and law. That sham
trials li id been got up, and judgments reversed,
just as it suited the puristic.' of the individual, and
without any reference to the justice of the case. It
'vs.( true that Governor Ainslie had not decorated
the public places at Cape Breton as he hail at
Dominica, oith the heads and bodies of human
victims, but it was equally true that lie had con-
ducted himself in the most oppressive and unseat..
rentable manner. It was no uncommon occurrence
to see him cuff about, and uctually kick down
stairs, inhabitants who came to complain to him of
the grievances they suffered.—( Laughter.)—How-
ever ludicrous such a scene might be, it was dis-
reputable and disgraceful in a public officer. He
had actu illy gone so far as to challenge a British
officer to fight a duel with him, and to repair to
Newfoundland to decide the quarrel. In bringing
forward these complaints which the Petition con-
t: • 11, he (Mr. B.) was actuated by a sense of
public duty, and by a belief, from the papers and
documents he had reed. that they were founded iD
fact, and that the individuals to whom he alluded
were totally unworthy of the situations they filled in
the colony.
On the question that the Petition be brought up,
Mr. GULDOURN raid, that if any Gentleman
pretrial had heard the question put by the Hon.
Member on a former evening, lie must be greatly
surprised at hearing the speech which had just beets
made. On the former evening, the Hon. Gentle-
matt opposite had osited whether it was the inten-
tion of Government to enact a separate l.egielalure
for Cape Breton, and lie had now turned round.
and taken an opportunity, through the medium or
. presenting a Petniou, of criminating individuals in
their absence, without Riving any notice or ills in-
tention, or under circumstances in which it were
possible to be ready with an answer to the impute-
t. lie had cast on iertriii individuals in his Ma-
justy'ip service. The Hon. 31ember It id done this
without calling for any papers, or knowing whether
they would be grouted or refused, without moving
for any inciniry which might bring the subject fully
and lairly before the House. He (%Ir. G.) had
previously heard of the tonne of Mr. Gibbon stand-
ing forth as an accuser in the colony, not, indeed,
against Governor Ainslie, but sigaiust two of his
'predecessors (General Steeple and another). If the
hlentlwr really meant to call for all inquiry
tutu the conduct of the Governor or the Chief Jus-
tice at Cape Breton, he knew there was a irroper
course of doing so open to him, and that it was difs
&relit from the one lie now pursued. As to the
alleged conduct of the Chief Justice, there was one
circumstance which deserved to be mesitumed.
The Petitioner bad complained of certain duties
imposed by the Local Authorities, and these were
subsequently declared invalid by the Chief Justice.
who, in that instance at least, sheered no inclination
to court the favour of the Governor, with *hose

concurrence the regulations were entered into. He
certainly complained of this mode of proveeding,
where the parties accused could not possibly reply.

• .
The Petition leas then brought up anal ordered
to be printed. It chiefly complained of the Prti-
tioner's being arbitrarily dispossessed of certain fee-
sitt►ple property ut Cape Breton, by the Local
Authorities.