CHAPTER 2

- Sou' West —

The decade of the 1850‘s in P.-E. I. included important socio-political reforms and a regretable controversy between

homan Catholic and Protestant leaders over education policy.

In April, 1951, after a long political battle between P.E.I. political leaders and British Colonial officials, P. E. I. was granted Responsible Government. Honorable George Coles was the leader of the elected Liberal Assembly, that included two representatives from the Third electoral district in Prince County, Joseph Pope and William W. Lord. In this government tenants had hope of some government action to speed up the process of allowing tenants to purchase their farms at reasonable rates. In 1853 the Coles government approved a Land Purchase Act, by which the government could purchase the land from proprietors at seven shillings and six pence per acre, and resell it to tenants at approximately the cost price. (1) The Governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick had followed a similar scheme in respect to proprietors and tenants. However, P.E.I. proprietors, espec- ially those not residing on the Island)opposed what they re-

garded as a threat to their rights over private property. A

sudden defeat of the Liberals in July, 1853, and their removal

from office for almost a year prevented them from doihg much with the Act. Instead,proprietors sold to other proprietors;

and rents to tenants increased. Some proprietors were re-

/‘7.