A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose

was an alderman, and four times mayor of that ancient city. He was likewise a justice of the peace for Gloucestershire, in which county his residence, “Hill House” was situated. R. P. Haythorne’s grandfather, Joseph, was likewise a Bristolian, and was a banker and glass manufacturer. John Haythorne married Mary Curtis, of “Mardyke House,” Hotwells, Bristol, who became the mother of our distinguished Canadian senator. R. P. Haythorne was educated at private schools in his native place. His early life was spent at his father’s residence, but later on he devoted several years to travelling, visiting the Island of Madeira, the South of Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland, and Italy. In 1842 he emigrated to Prince Edward Island, having, in connection with an elder brother, (subsequently the Hon. Edward C. Haythorne, a nominated member of the Legislative Council), acquired a tract of 10,000 acres of land in that colony. This land was partly wilderness, partly let to tenants for 999 years, and partly occupied by squatters. For many years the brothers devoted themselves to agricultural pursuits, and to the settlement of their estate; but the brother referred to dying in 1859, R. P. Haythorne revisited England in 1860. Returning in the following year, he married Elizabeth R., eldest daughter of Thomas Scott, of Belfast, Ireland, then of Falconwood, Prince Edward Island. Two sons were born of this marriage, one in 1862, and another in the following year, both of whom survive. Mr. Haythorne became a widower in 1866, his wife dying at Liverpool, England. About this period the free land and tenant league agitation prevailed in Prince Edward Island. Mr. Haythorne and his tenants, however, settled their differences by mutual agreement, which was faithfully carried out, the tenants becoming freeholders, by paying a sum about equivalent to $2 per acre by instalments. In 1867 Mr. Haythorne, being invited by his former tenants, became a candidate for the second electoral district of Queen’s county (Legislative Council), and was returned to that chamber by a respectable majority. Not many weeks later, the local Conservative Government led by the Hon. J. C. Pope resigned, and was succeeded by a Liberal Government led by the Hon. G. Coles, the present Judge Hensley being Attorney-General, Messrs. Haythorne, Alexander Laird, Peter Sinclair, Callbeck Howlan, and A. A. Macdonald, the present Lieut.-Governor of Prince Edward Island were members of the Executive Council. The policy of this government was the further abrogation of the leasehold tenure, by purchase on voluntary agreement if practicable, otherwise by decision of a court to be established for the purpose of deciding the sum to be paid for expropriation. Mr. Coles’ health failing, he resigned, and was succeeded by Mr. Hensley, the policy of the Government remaining unchanged as regards the land tenures. Much attention was also paid to the improvement of the highways, and the extension of steam navigation to the outports of the colony. About the year 1868, Mr. Hensley accepted a seat on the bench, and Mr. Haythorne succeeded him as Premier and President of the Executive Council. The land policy of the Government was much obstructed by the Colonial Office, the Secretary of State, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos refusing to listen to the demands of the Executive for a compulsory expropriation law, which he condemned as “a direct interference with private property.” For the present, therefore, the efforts of Mr. Haythorne and his colleagues were limited to the purchase of such estates as could be acquired by voluntary agreement, and during the Liberals’ tenure of office some progress was made; the estates of the Hon. J. C. Pope, the Hon. T. H. Haviland, and some others being purchased by Government, and that of the Rev. James Montgomery by private agreement between the proprietor and the tenants. In the following year Lord Granville having become Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Haythorne’s council again approached the Colonial Office with renewed demands for a measure of expropriation. Meantime the land owners, native and absentee—some of the latter being persons of much influence—opposed the efforts of the Government. What has now come to be recognized as the “unearned increment of value,” the Island Government claimed as the heritage of the men and women who had landed boldly in the wilderness, cleared away the forests, built houses, cities, school-houses, and churches, made roads and wharves, and caused “the wilderness to blossom as the rose.” Lord Granville proved less obdurate than his predecessors. He would not sanction an expropriation bill, but seeing the urgency of another great question in the near future, he softened his refusal in words something like these: “Having regard to the evident uncertainty, whether the colony of Prince Edward Island will or will not soon unite with the Dominion of Canada, I am not prepared to enter on the consideration of the land question, with which if such union were to ensue the Imperial Government would probably cease to concern itself; the land question therefore, should in my opinion be left as far as possible for the decision of those who under the altered circumstances of the colony would have to carry into execution any measures connected with it.”—Granville, 13th March, 1869. This despatch was generally interpreted in Prince Edward Island to mean that the land question would be settled in exchange for Confederation. Thus for the present the land question rested, to be again resuscitated on the occasion of the introduction of “a Tenants’ Compensation Bill for Ireland,” a measure nearly identical with one introduced years before, during a former administration of Hon. Mr. Coles, and passed through the Island Legislature, but vetoed at the Colonial Office. During these years the fishery question had caused some trouble. The American fishing vessels had been admitted to the British-American waters on payment of tonnage license dues, but in 1868 Canada declined to continue the system, resolving to exclude the Americans, who had recently terminated the reciprocity treaty. Meantime, in the island, the Americans were admitted to their usual privileges, as regards frequenting the harbours, transhipping cargoes, and obtaining supplies. But the attention of the Imperial Government being called thereto, the Admiral on the Halifax station (Wellesley), and the officers commanding the smaller vessels of his squadron, were ordered to put a stop to the “alleged illegal practices.” These orders gave rise to long correspondence between the officers of Her Majesty’s ships, notably Captain E. Hardinge, of the frigate _Valorous_, and the Island Executive. The former interfered with the island and colonial coasters on very trifling grounds, and prevented the American fishing vessels from transhipping their cargoes and renewing their outfits on the island ports, causing much discontent amongst shipowners and the numerous class of traders interested. (_Vide_ L. C. Journals, 1871.) In consequence, a minute of council for the information of the Secretary of State was drawn up, September 2nd, 1870, protesting against such interference with “our best customers the Americans, who transhipped cargoes in our ports—renewing their supplies of salt, barrels, provisions, and general outfit in our markets.” This memorial was “drawn up,” the Secretary of State, Lord Kimberley, observes, “with much ability and moderation,” and his Lordship authorized the Lieut.-Governor Robinson (now Sir William Robinson, South Australia), “to suspend the restrictions the local Government felt called upon to impose.” This was the last public act of Mr. Haythorne’s first administration. Shortly afterwards finding his supporters in the House of Assembly in a minority, caused by the secession of the two Catholic members of his government, he resigned, and was succeeded by a coalition Government led by the Hon. J. C. Pope, the two Catholic members of the late Government accepting seats in the Executive. During the late Liberal Administrations the island had been visited by Prince Arthur, by Lord and Lady Lisgar, and a Canadian deputation, including Sir L. Tilley, Sir Geo. E. Cartier, and Sir E. Kenny; the object of this “descent” being to attract the Islanders into Confederation by an offer of “better terms.” These, however, were declined, 90 out of 100 Islanders at that juncture being opposed to Confederation. An informal Congressional deputation, of which the well-known General B. Butler was a member, also visited the island, their object being to ascertain whether any approach to reciprocity could be made. This visit, though it was without results, indicated a kindly disposition on both sides. It obtained for the Executive of the Island a snub from the Secretary of State, the Lieutenant-Governor (Dundas), having taken short leave to visit Halifax at this period. During the later months of 1870, through 1871, and till April, 1873, Mr. Haythorne was in Opposition. This was the period of the development and adoption of the railroad policy, which by the financial embarrassment it caused, ultimately drew the island into Confederation. Mr. Pope’s Government being supported by considerable majorities, carried his railway bill for the construction of a trunk line connecting Charlottetown with Summerside and Alberton on the west, and with Georgetown on the east, and providing for future extensions to Souris and Tignish. Soon, however, after the rising of the legislature, Mr. Pope’s majority began to fade away, and in 1872, being defeated in the Assembly, and again on an appeal to the people, he resigned, and Mr. Haythorne being again called on to form an Administration, succeeded, and carried the law relating to the railway extensions into effect. In the latter part of the year 1872, and the commencement of 1873, the financial and other difficulties which his Government encountered were almost overpowering. The trunk line was under rapid construction, and interest on debentures began to accrue half yearly at a rapidly increasing rate. Large drafts on the local treasury were also required in payment of rights of way, and land damages, which added to the ordinary expenditure seemed beyond the power of the island to meet by increased taxation. The Government therefore, re-opened communication with the Dominion Government, then led by Sir John Macdonald, with a view to ascertain the terms on which the island would be admitted to Confederation. Being invited to send a deputation to Ottawa, Mr. Haythorne and his colleague in the Executive, the Hon. David Laird, were chosen to perform this duty. They arrived in the capital a few days before the meeting of Parliament, in February, 1873, Lord Dufferin being Governor-General. The delegates were put in communication chiefly with Sir L. Tilley, and negotiated terms which seemed highly advantageous to the island. These comprised six seats in the Commons, the taking over and operating of the Island railway by the Dominion, the assumption of the island debt, the providing of a sum of $800,000 for the acquisition of proprietary lands, and the vesting of the same in local legislature. Continuous steam communication summer and winter with the mainland was also guaranteed. Before signing these preliminaries which the delegates undertook to introduce to their respective branches of the legislature, the House of Assembly was dissolved, and writs forthwith issued for the election of a new parliament. The following telegram from Lord Dufferin to Gov. Robinson, P.E.I., 12th March, 1873, may be quoted: “The delegates from your Government have left Ottawa, having succeeded in effecting a provisional arrangement. I congratulate you on P.E.I. having obtained such liberal terms. My ministers are of opinion, in which I fully concur, that no additional concessions would have any chance of being accepted by the Parliament of Canada.—Dufferin.” Though the new terms were very generally approved, the policy of the Opposition led by Mr. Pope prevailed. It was to send another deputation to Ottawa, and demand further concessions. And it succeeded, proving more attractive to the majority of electors. Mr. Haythorne finding his government in a minority resigned, and Mr. Pope resumed office. On the assembling of the new parliament, Messrs. J. C. Pope, T. H. Haviland, and G. W. Howlan were sent to Ottawa, and after some delay, secured some further concessions, which were finally adopted in addition to the so-called Haythorne-Laird terms, and being ratified, the island entered Confederation on July 1st,