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Submitted by Janice Tanche - [email protected]
Palmer, James Bardin of Prince Edward Island. "London Correspondence with Lord Bathurst February 9 � March 22, 1813." Alley Smith Collection, Acc2702 Item 839. Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
Transcribed February 4, 2006 by Janice Tanche email: [email protected]
[Introduction: James Bardin Palmer, Esq. (1771 � 1833), Elisha LePage, Esq. (1764 � 1813) were residents of Prince Edward Island, and early members of the Society of Loyal Electors. This document is transcribed by Janice Tanche [email protected], and proofread by Garth Bulman [email protected] who are, respectively, the 3rd and 5th great grandchildren of Palmer and LePage.
This is an except from the above-mentioned collection, in particular, from an affidavit sworn by James Bardin Palmer. The excerpt describes the formation, purpose, and rules of the Society of Loyal Electors.]
. . . This Deponent conceiving that if the House of Assembly was composed of Men of disinterested integrity those grievances wou�d be speedily and constitutionally removed, it occurred to Deponent that by a number of reputable Settlers associating together and supporting proper Candidates at Elections a considerable degree of influence cou�d be made in the House of Assembly , and which cou�d be directed to the support of His Majestys Government, restoring the confidence of the people, and promoting the improvement of the Colony, and accordingly Deponent in the Year one thousand eight hundred and six consulted with sundry persons at Charlotte Town for which place he was then one of the Representatives in the Assembly, and the Society of Loyal Electors was established for the above purposes upon a plan similar, as nearly as circumstances wou�d permit to that of a Loyal and well known Society in Dublin which has existed upwards of a Century, and of which several respected and dignified persons are or were Members, such as The Right Honorable George Ogle, The Right Honorable Dr. Duigenan, The Right Honorable John Forster, John Claudrier Beresford Esq, Jonah Barrington Esquire and a great number of other Members, of Parliament. This Deponent saith that the Society of Loyal Electors continued to meet in Charlotte Town from the time of their formation to the present, and have been of material service in promoting an active spirit of improvement and emulation among the Inhabitants of this Colony, as also in promoting the election of several persons as Members in the House of Assembly who were deservedly possessed of Public confidence and whose votes as noted in the Journals of that House will shew that they have supported the measures of Government tho� frequently in opposition to some of the Officers of Government whose interest and conduct were swayed by the Speculators Cabal before described. . . . This Despondent further saith that Deponent about the latter end of last Year has unwillingly been obliged to institute a Suit against Mr. Thomas Joseph March and others for the recovery of nearly Six thousand Acres of land and a considerable Sum of Money which Deponent is justly entitled to have from the said Marsh and others, and Deponent understands that this Marsh, who is directly interested in endeavouring to ruin Deponent, and some other persons, particularly Mr. John Frederick Holland, who tho� less interested are equally prejudiced and partial have joined in a conspiracy against Deponent, and have circulated abominable libels purporting to have been extracts from the proceedings of the Loyal Electors Society, but which are artfully garbled, added to and altered in such a manner as to destroy their original intent and meaning and to give the Society the appearance of secrecy and dark design, whereas this Deponent positively saith that publicity was the principal wish and one primary object of its proceedings, that the Members met publicly, on stated days, viz. the first Tuesday in each Month, that all the Meetings were open to visitors, and that no Book was even used by, or belonged to the Society, except the Treasurers Book which related entirely to Money transactions and the Book of Proceedings which at the express desire of the Members was laid before His Excellency Lieutenant Governor DesBarres so soon as the slightest rumor took place of any charge having been exhibited to the prejudice of the Society, and which proceedings, as far as related to public principles, had been previously advertised, in the Newspaper. This Deponent said that Deponent never moved, nor did any other Member as Deponent believes make a Motion that a secret Committee shou�d be appointed, but Deponent moved that a Committee shou�d be appointed to prepare, superintend or transact the business of the Society, and to report their proceedings to the Society at its Monthly Meetings, and the Motion so made by Deponent was agreed to, and was written in the Book of the Society by the Secretary, in the precise words in which the same was made; and which written resolution appears unaltered in the said Book. The Deponent said that if any person hath asserted or sworn to the contrary of what is here stated that such person hath asserted or sworn a deliberate falsehood. And Deponent said that being a Member of His Majestys Counsel, and as it has been suggested to him that his continuance as a Member of the Society of Loyal Electors might be considered as an interference with the distinction which shou�d be observed between the different Estates of the Constitution[,] Deponent has for that reason, and for that reason only withdrawn himself from the before mentioned Society whose principles are unimpeachable.
J. B. Palmer
Sworn before me this 16th
day of May 1811
J. L. DesBarres J.P. �They were advertised in the "Weekly Recorder" of Prince Edward Island of the 1st of October 1810 and are as follow.-
"Loyal Electors"
"The future prosperity of Prince Edward Island depending on a great measure on the wisdom and integrity of the House of Representatives, it is expedient that proper care shou'd be taken to diffuse thro' the Colony a general spirit of investigation into the character and abilities of all Persons who may henceforth come forward as Candidates for such important situations; and - to prevent as far as possible the public mind from being swayed by electioneering artifice or trick when the exercise of a great invaluable franchisee - a few Persons have this day associated under the Title of "Loyal Electors" as the commencement of an establishment governed by Principles declared the following Resolutions.
"Resolved that we will to the utmost of our power support and defend the Government of His most sacred Majesty King George the third, and the rights and privileges of our glorious Constitution.
"Resolved that we will devote every possible degree off attention to the choice of Representatives in the House of Assembly.
"Resolved that our principal officers shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer and a Secretary, to be elected every six Months; -- that we will meet at six o'clock in the evening on the first Tuesday in every Month, as also upon any urgent occasion that the President may think necessary to call us together.
"Resolved that strict order and moral conduct shall be invariably attended to at our meetings; and that we may as far as practicable afford every Elector the opportunity of being admitted, we will limit the expense to a dollar at admission, and some very trivial Sum to be paid at each meeting, but not any fine for absence, unless on special meetings of urgency.
"Resolved that electors only are competent to be admitted, and such persons being proposed shall be balloted for next Night. one Clock Ball in five to exclude.""By Order
T. Bagnall President"This letter, and more of the collection may be seen on our "Letter Index" page