-
Key Events in the History of Nova Scotia: 1806.
-
[Backward In Time (1805)]
[Forward In Time (1807)]
§On January 23rd, in England, Pitt dies; Fox takes over. That September Fox died in office and Grenville, the foreign secretary since 1791, took over forming the government of "All the Talents" which was dissolved in 1807.
§In Nova Scotia: The "Eight Assembly" dissolved on May 28th, 1806. An election writ was issued on May 29th and the "Ninth Assembly" was convened on November 18th, 1806 which lasted to 1811.
§3 February. Wentworth writes to Castlereagh about Tonge: "... exerted every possible means to protract the session -- to infuse and disseminate groundless jealousies and discontent into the minds of the people ... [further he attempted] to prevent any grant of revenue to his majesty, which ... were delayed until nearly one-third of the net duties for the year were lost by importations during the time the revenue bills ceased."
§Some of the eminent men of the time: S. S. Blowers (Chief Justice and president of Council), Alexander Croke (Judge of Vice Admiralty and Council member), James Brenton (Puisne Judge and Council member), John Butler ("commissary and storekeeper general" and Council member), Michael Wallace (treasurer and Council member), Andrew Belcher (merchant and Council member), Charles Hill (merchant) Geo. Henry Monk (Judge of the Supreme Court), Charles Morris (surveyor general of lands and register in the court of vice admiralty), John Beckwith and Hibbert N. Binney (collector of impost and excise).
§Two vacancies on Council come about (C. M. Wentworth and L. Hartshorne) and Wentworth recommends Richard John Uniacke and Edward Brabazon Brenton.
§Apparently, at this time (1806) members of the legislature received ten shillings (about $1) per day while the house was sitting.
§During these years (1806 and 1807) bounties were given to the builders of fishing boats, to the exporters of fish, and to the importers of salt.
§Tuesday, 18 November, new assembly meets (9th, 1st); 39 members returned with the following counties being represented by two members each, except for Halifax with four: Halifax, Annapolis, Lunenburg, Cumberland, Kings, Queens, Hants (Tonge), Shelburne and Sydney; and with the following towns being represented by one member each, except for Halifax with two: Halifax, Truro, Onslow, Londonderry, Annapolis, Granville, Digby, Lunenburg, Amherst, Horton, Cornwallis, Liverpool (Joseph Barss), Windsor, Falmouth, Newport, Shelburne, Barrington and Yarmouth. The house picked Tonge as the Speaker, but he was not acceptable to Sir John, the house compromised and agreed to pick one of the members from Lunenburg, Lewis Morris Wilkins.
§Nov. 29th: A Petition is received by the government at Halifax for money to assist in the road from Annapolis to Lunenburg where advise is given that the road "is now cut open, that is to say, the timber cut down, and cleared off, 16½ feet wide." The petitioners foresee the importance of encouraging farmers to settle on the new road as a means of populating land good for agriculture "which hitherto has remained a pathless wilderness from the Creation of the World."
§Dec. 15th: A report of the Joint Committee is filed re the state of the Old Government House and to the desirability of acquiring more suitable accommodation for the sittings of the Legislature and of the Supreme Court.
§By a proclamation, dated Berlin, November 21st, 1806, Napoleon declares that the British Isles to be in a state of blockade; further, that all letters going to, or coming from England, are not to be forwarded, and all those written in English are to be suppressed; and further, that trade in English goods is to be rigorously prohibited.
-
[Backward In Time (1805)]