North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-08-26

address Of The House Of Assembly, one IN
acquainted with The facts that really tran
spired at that period, would believe His
Royal Highness TO have been a man OF
great moral honesty and virtue. We can
however assure our readers that Prince
Edward was quite another character, ma
king display of encouraging vice and
liberiinism by his own private conduct,
living publicly with a woman with whom
he was not married and even having the
hardihood of introducing this woman into
some respectable families oil Quebec. But
he was Of the royal blood and these crimes
against moral and social laws were looked
upon as mere peccadiiloes, quite familiar to
the House Of Hanover. Although the
residence Of this member OF that House
was quite short in the Province, yet many
families had 10 mourn over the lost inno-
cence OF their once viuuous daughters.
was the father OF the present blessed Queen
OF England.
In the 2nd session Of the first provincial
Parliament singular Circumstance occur
red, Mr.. J. A. Panet the Speaker OF the
House Of Assembly was a lawyer OF con-
siderable professional notoriety. He was
employed by Mr.. Hunt to sue out
writ OF capias ad satiJaciendum agaInst
Mr.. John Young the member Of the Lower
Town Of Quebec. Mr.. Young on the
9th Nov. complained to the chair o this
infraciion Of the privileges OF the House
in the arrest of his person and begged that
the House would bring the offenders TO
their meriled punishment. The case was
rather peculiar--as we have said Mr..
Panet the lawyer employed in that case
was Speaker Of the House and according
10 the constant practice of the House OF
Commons in England where precedents
were sought, he was amenable TO the
House for having iniringed upon its pTi-
vileges a committee was appointed TO
take the case into consideration and to
search for precedenls in the proceedings Of
the House OF Commons in England. Ii
was not till the. Goth Of January following,
that the matter was settled, when motion
passed unanimously, declaring that all those
who had participated in the arrest OF Mr..
Young, lawyers, sherifis, bailifs and plain
tiff, had rendered themselves guilty Of a
high breach Of the privileges Of the House
Of Assembly the Sergeant at Arms was
consequently ordered to take the offenders
into his custody and bring them TO the bar
of the House Mr.. Panel the speaker with
the others concerned 10 the arrest OF MIR.
Young, appeared at the bar of the House
and having pleaded ignorance and no m
tention Of infringing upon the privileges
OF the House, they were liberated after
this apology on their part.
Whilst this affair was before The House
ii was resolved that in all cases for which
the House of Assembly had not provided,
recourse should be had TO the rules, usa
ges and forms OF the Imperial Parliament
Of England, until the House OF Assembly
shall have provided for such cases.
The Speaker Of the House of Assembly
J. A. Panel, Esquire, who, as we have
already said, was man of eminent talents
in his profession as lawyer, was appoint
ed on the 2Sta January 1874, one of the
Judges Of the Court OF Common Pleas
By this nomination the Speakership of the
House became vacant and it was flied by
Mr.. Charter De Lothbiniere who was
unanimously elected to that high and i'm
portant office. His nomination was duly
approved by the Governor the day sue
ceeding.
In consequence Of the declaration OF war
between Great Britain and France, the
members OF this Parliament were peFsusd-
ed to pass the 90 Alien Bill" which confer.
red very extraordinary powers on the Ex-
ecutve Government and which certainly
showed the great confidence OF the House
Of Assembly in the Governor General
with very little regard for The personal
liberty and security OF those strangers who