Tired of hearing of budget Over Runs and the Deficit? Lets take a run down memory lane to the Year, 1866, and take a look at an act presented and passed by the P.E.I. Government to appropriate moneys necessary for the running of the Province. I guess it could be called their budget! This is from “The Act of Assembly for P.E.I., 1866" an listing of acts passed within the Fourth Session of the Twenty Second General Assembly, in the year 1866. While not genealogy, it will be interesting to all of us from an Historical perspective.
This Budget Act differs from that of the 1893 one, in that the amounts are in Pounds (£), rather than Dollars, as this was before the decimal currency system was introduced to P.E.I. If anyone knows what the equivalent value of the 1866 pound would be in 1998 Canadian Dollars, I would love to know, so that we could put these amounts in their proper perspective.
Also, in this Budget Act, there is a list of payments to individual "Paupers", making it perhaps more useful to a genealogist than the budget of 1893.
Still, the historical interest remains, as we can see when many historical landmarks were built, such as the construction of the East Point Lighthouse, or the building of the Souris Breakwater, both of which were funded through this Act. We can truly get a feel for the time!
An Act for Appropriating Certain Moneys therein mentioned for the Service of the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-six.
(Passed May 11, 1866.)
May it Please your Excellency:
We, Her Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the House of Assembly of Prince Edward Island, towards appropriating the several supplies raised for the exigencies of Her Majesty’s Government and for other purposes hereinafter mentioned, do humbly beseech that it be enacted:
And be it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Assembly, That by and out of such monies as from time to time shall be and remain in the Public Treasury of this Island, there shall be allowed and paid for the services herein mentioned the several sums following:
{Note: In the interest of easing the reading and entering of sums in this document they will be represented numerically, although in the Act, they are presented in long hand)
| Boards of Health | £300. |
| Buoys and Beacons | £300. |
| Allowances for 3 High Sherrifs | £60. |
| Salary of the Messenger of the Executive Council | £20. |
| Salary of the Keeper of the Bonded Warehouse, Charlottetown | £45. |
| Expenses of Gas to the Public Buildings | £85. |
| Costs of Fuel for Public Offices | £90. |
| Expenses of Lighthouses and Lights | £1400. |
| Expenses of Public Printing and Stationery for the Year | £1000 |
| Incidental and Contingent Expenses of the Executive Government | £600 |
| Incidental and Contingent expenses of the Lunatic Asylum | £1000 |
| Salary of the Crier of the Supreme Court | £20. |
| Expenses of Coroner’s Inquests | £50. |
| Salary of the Harbour Master, Charlottetown | £17 10s |
| Wages and Fuel for the Guard at Government House | £50. |
| Salary and Dispursements of Charlottetown Signal Station | £25. |
| Rent of Bonded Warehouses, Charlottetown | £95. |
| Legislative Library Committee for purchase of Books, Maps, Atlases | £75. |
| Government House Committee for dispursement in and around Government House | £150. |
| Cost of Repairs to and dispursements connected with Colonial Building | £100. |
| Expenses of repairs to Queens County Jail | £250. |
| Expenses of Management of Savings Bank | £110. |
| Salaries of the Controllers of Customs and Navigation Laws, and the Collectors of Impost for the several out ports of this Island (excepting Georgetown and Summerside), the same to be paid by warrant on the Treasurer of this Island. | £300. |
| Granted to Country postmasters, in addition to their allowances by Statute. | £75. |
| Expenses of Public Surveys and other services in connection with the Crown Land Office. | £300. |
| Contingent and Incidental expenses of holding General Elections. | £600. |
| Expenses for St. Paul’s and Scatari Lights. | £70. |
| For the Deaf and Dumb Institution in Halifax. | £50. |
| Contingent expenses of the House of Assembly | Amount Not Given |
| Contingent expenses of the Legislative Council | Amount Not Given |
| Expenses of the Crown Prosecutions and officers fees, for miscellaneous services and fees. | £450. |
For paupers according to a scale agreed upon by the House of Assembly to be divided among the counties in the following proportions, namely: | £500. |
| Sum sufficient for Education for the present year. | Amount Not Given |
| Sum sufficient for Summer and Winter Mails and Inland Mails | Amount Not Given |
| Expense of Public Postage | £60. |
| To the Commissioners for issuing Treasury Notes, should the same be required. | £20. |
| Salaries of two Auditors of Public Accounts. | £100. |
| Salary of the Superintendant of Public Works. | £75. |
| Salary of the Assayer of Weights and Measures. | £10. |
| Superintendant of Public Works for Plans and expenses of Superintendance. | £200. |
| Salaries for Landwaiters and the Preventative Service. | £350. |
| Salary of the Medical Attendant of the Queen’s County Jail. | £10. |
| Salary of the Medical Attendant of the Prince County Jail. | £6. |
| Salary of the Medical Attendant of the King’s County Jail. | £6. |
| Salary of the Keeper of the Queen’s County Jail. | £60. |
| Salary of the Keeper of the Prince County Jail. | £30. |
| Salary of the Keeper of the King’s County Jail. | £30. |
| Salary of the Matron of the Queen’s County Jail. | £15. |
| Salary of the Keeper of the Colonial Building. | £60. |
| Expenses of Repairs to all three County Jails. | £800. |
| Salary of the Messenger of the Public Offices. | £20. |
| Sum to defray the allowance to the Market Clerk, Georgetown. | £5. |
Sum for the service of Roads, Bridges, and Wharfs for the present year, the same to be appropriated to each county in the following manner: | £6000. |
| For the macadamizing with granite or other suitable stone parts of the Main Post Road within the Common and Royalty of Charlottetown, the same to be expended under the direction of the members of the said City of Charlottetown. | £500. |
| For the macadamizing with granite or other suitable stone, the Main Post Road leading through Common and Royalty of Georgetown, to be expended under the direction of the members for said town. | £250. |
| For the macadamizing with granite or other suitable stone the Public Roads near Summerside, to be expended under the direction of the members for the Eleventh District of Prince County. | £250. |
| For the relief of Pauper Indians. | £100. |
| Sum at the disposal of Government to defray the dispursements and expenditure of the Model Stock Farm. | £750. |
| Sum to defray the expense of erecting a Lighthouse at East Point. | £750. |
| Sum to pay the Wharfage of the Mail Steamers at Charlottetown and Brule for the present year. | £80. |
| Sum to defray expenses of repairs at Government House. | £200. |
| Sum to be granted and paid to the Solicitor General, in addition to the sum payable to him under the Act Sixteenth Victoria, chapter three, for his services, for the current year. | £100. |
| Sum towards defraying the expense of repairing Fyfe’s Ferry Bridge. | £50. |
| Sum for building Bridge on Lot Sixty-one. | £480. |
| Sum to pay for building Murray River Bridge. | £522. 15s |
| Sum for Mink River Wharf, Lot sixty-three. | £50. |
| Sum for repairs to Poplar Island Bridge, in addition to appropriation of last year. | £250. |
| Sum for repairs to Wilmot Creek Bridge. | £240. |
| Sum for Anderson’s Bridge, Lot Twenty-two. | £100. |
| Sum for Bridges on Georgetown Road. | £150. |
| Sum for Hayden’s Bridge at the head of Vernon River. | £50. |
| Sum towards construction of new Bridge over Pisquid River, in addition to the amount of the subscription list. | £120. |
| Sum for repairs to Prince Street Wharf. | £100. |
| Sum for Indian River Bridge, Lot Eighteen. | £100. |
| Sum for Wharf at China Point. | £50. |
| Sum towards erection of a new Wharf at Rollo Bay, provided the inhabitants in the vicinity subscribe a sum sufficient to finish the same. | £40. |
| Sum for one stone culvert, Princetown Road. | £100. |
| Sum for new Block to Hickey’s Wharf on Hillsborough River.. | £50. |
| Sum towards erection of a new Wharf at Hayden’s, Hillsborough River, in addition to grant made last year. | £50. |
| Sum towards construction of a new Wharf at North-East corner of Lot Forty-eight, Hillsborough River in addition to subscription list. | £100. |
| Sum for Quagmire Bridge, Lot Sixteen. | £60. |
| Sum for Beach Point Wharf, Lot Seventeen. | £50. |
| Sum for removing Slip on South side of Cardigan River to a more suitable site, and for repairs thereto. | £50. |
| Sum for new Block in extension of Georgetown Wharf. | £180. |
| Sum towards building a new Wharf at Kier’s Shore, Lot Eighteen. | £50. |
| Sum towards building a new Bridge near John Hall’s, Crapaud. | £50. |
| Sum towards building a new Wharf at Canadian River, Lot Eleven provided the inhabitants in the vicinity subscribe a sum equal to one half the amount.. | £50. |
| Sum for Keefe’s Bridge at Cascumpec. | £60. |
| Sum for West River Wharf, in addition to last year’s grant. | £250. |
| Sum for Cooper’s Wharf. Lot Thirteen. | £50. |
| Sum for Bideford Wharf, Lot Twelve. | £50. |
| Sum for Cape Traverse Bridge. | £70. |
| Sum for new covering and other repairs to Park Corner Bridge, New London, if needed. | £100. |
| Sum for West Black Point Bridge, Lot Forty-six. | £50. |
| Sum towards extending Wharf at Dog River. | £30. |
| Sum for new Bridge at James Laird’s Mill, New Glasgow Road. | £50. |
| Sum for new Bridge at Joshua Doirant’s, south side New Glasgow River. | £75. |
| Sum to Charles DesBrisay, Esq., Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of William Kilpatrick, to be paid quarterly. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council for the relief of William Feure, to be paid quarterly. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council for the relief of William Foley, to be paid quarterly. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Thomas Condon, to be paid quarterly. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Patrick McCarron, a blind man. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Patrick D. Rogers. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Mary Crutchell. | £10. |
| Sum to the Asssistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Mary Ann Wall. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of D. Nicholson and wife. (The foregoing grants to paupers to be paid quarterly.) | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of John Cullerton, Souris. | £10. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Honoria McCarthy. | £7. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Atcheon Moore. | £8. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Ann Clarke. | £4. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Owen Martin. | £5. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of John Connolly. | £4. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Patrick Traynor. | £5. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Mary Martin, towards the relief of her idiot son. | £5. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of William Burke. | £4. |
| Sum to Mrs. Patrick Walker, for the relief of Ann Dogherty, Charlottetown. | £10. |
| Sum to the Hon. Francis Kelly, for the relief of the Widow of Patrick Traynor. (Recently drowned) | £6. |
| Sum to the Hon. Francis Kelly, for the relief of Patrick Wood. | £6. |
| Sum to the Hon. George Coles, for the relief of Michael Ready, Tracadie. | £7. 10s |
| Sum to Johnston Aitken, Esq., for the relief of the Griffin family, at Three Rivers. | £6. |
| Sum to John Sutherland, Esq., for the relief of Angus Wilson, Cardigan Road. | £5. |
| Sum to John Sutherland, Esq., for the relief of Donald McDonald and wife, Cardigan Road. | £5. |
| Sum to John Sutherland, Esq., for the relief of Patrick Kirwin, Saint Peter’s. | £2. |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Roderick McNeill, Saint Peter’s. | £4. |
| Sum to Nicholas Conroy, Esq., for the relief of Thomas Cahill, Kildare. | £5. |
| Sum to W. B. Dean for the relief of ___ Weir, Charlottetown. | £10. |
| Sum to John Yeo, Esq., for the relief of Widow Brown, Lot Nine. | £3. |
| Sum to John Yeo, Esq., for the relief of Thomas Dunn, Lot Seven. | £3. |
| Sum to John Yeo, Esq., for the relief of Paul Arsneaux. | £2. |
| Sum to George W. Hayden, Esq., for the relief of Jacob Hayden. | £5. |
| Sum to George W. Howlan, Esq., for the relief of Mrs. Blampied. | £3. |
| Sum to the Chief Justice, for the relief of Mary Kelly, Charlottetown, towards the relief of idiot children. | £5. |
| Sum to D. S. McNutt, for the relief of William Doolan and Elizabeth Doolan, Fermoy Settlement. | £10. |
| Sum to Reverend H. Crawford, for the relief of Hannah Wheeler, Saint Peters. | £10. |
| Sum to Nicholas Conroy, Esq., for the relief of the McDonald family, Lot One. | £8. |
| Sum to Nicholas Conroy, Esq., for the relief of John Brenard and family. | £15. |
| Sum to Donald Montgomery, Esq., for the relief of Angus McKay, New London. | £3. |
| Sum to Donald Montgomery, Esq., for the relief of John Moore, New London. | £1. 10s |
| Sum to Charles Harding, Esq., for the relief of John McDougall. | £6. |
| Sum to George Sinclair, Esq., for the relief of Patrick O’Brian. | £6. |
| Sum to Rev. Mr. Trudell, for the relief of Fidelle A. Magette. | £5. |
| Sum to the Hon. George Beer, for Widow Harding towards the relief of her idiot son for two years. | £12. |
| Sum to Hon. George Beer, for the relief of widow Kelly and Family. | £2. 10s |
| Sum to the Assistant Clerk of the Executive Council, for the relief of Louisa Brodie, Stanhope. | £4. |
| Sum to the Hon. Joseph Hensley, for the relief of Thomas Curtis. | £5. |
| Sum at the disposal of the Government to pay for the expenses of a Sailing Packet between the Ports of Georgetown and Pictou during the time the navigation may remain open. | £95. |
| Sum paid for erection of Keeper’s Cottage at Lighthouse, North Cape. | £190. |
| Sum for Duty paid on Heating apparatus for Trinity Church, Georgetown. | £7. 4s. |
| Sum to John MacFadyen to reimburse him for loss sustained by him in consequence of a new road to Ellis River Bridge not having opened in time to facilitate the building of said Bridge. | £100. |
| Sum to David McFarlane, in addition to the amount already paid him, for work performed on Jail fence, St. Eleanor’s. | £50. |
| Sum for the purchase of thorough-bred horse “Young Melborne”, if required. | £240. |
| Sum towards Steam communication between Charlottetown, Pictou, Georgetown, and Souris, if required. | £300. |
| Sum to George Ramsay, to indemnify him for legal expenses incurred by him in the prosecution of his duty as Overseer of Roads, as authorized by Statute. | £10. 10s. 7p. |
| Sum towards railing in and ornamenting Hillsborough Square, Charlottetown, to be paid to the Committee Superintending the same. | £50. |
| Sum to defray the cost of Boring Implements, and to enable the Government to institute a search for Coal and Coal Oil. | £1500. |
| Sum to defray cost of surveys by a Civil Engineer for a canal to connect Hillsborough River with Tracadie Harbour. | £75. |
| Sum to any person who will procure a Steam Dredging Machine, and will, under penalty, be bound to keep the same in efficient working order &c., on this Island, for the space of five years. | £250. |
| Sum to the Board of Engineers of the Fire Department, towards the cost of a new Steam Fire Engine. | £300. |
| Sum to the Board of Engineers of the Fire Department, Charlottetown, towards the construction of Tanks &c., provided the sum voted towards the cost of a Steam Fire Engine be not required. | £150. |
| Sum for the protection of the Fisheries and Revenue, if required. | £2000. |
| Sum towards purchase of Site for Summerside Grammar School. | £50. |
| Sum to pay for the importation of Flax and Hemp seed. | £150. |
| Sum sufficient for completion of Victoria Barracks. | Amount Not Given. |
| Sum to pay for an additional Assistant in the General Post Office, Charlottetown. | £100. |
| Sum in addition to allowance to Manager’s of Saving’s Bank, Charlottetown. | £15. |
| Sum at the disposal of the Provincial Government towards the construction of Souris Breakwater, West. | £300. |
| Sum towards the construction of Souris Breakwater, East, near John Knight’s. | £100. |
| Sum towards construction of New London Breakwater. | £150. |
| Sum towards the erection of a Breakwater at Campbell’s Cove, Lot Fourty-seven, provided a sum equal to two-thirds of the amount granted be subscribed towards the same object by the people. | £250. |
| Sum towards the construction of Saint Peter’s Breakwater. | £50. |
Sum to the following persons, out of the amount voted for Education, in the proportions respectively as hereinafter mentioned: | £131. |
Sum to the following Postmasters, in addition to their allowances by Statute, to be payed out of the amount voted for that purpose, in the proportions respectively hereinafter mentioned: | £65. |
And a sum of seventy-five pounds to the President of the Legislative Council, and thirty pounds to each of the said members of said Council for their attendance during the present Session, together with their travelling expenses as allowed to members of the House of Assembly in coming to and returning from the Legislative Council, the same to be paid out of the amount voted for the contingent expenses of the Legislative Council.
And a sum sufficient, out of the amount voted for the contingent expenses of the House of Assembly, to pay the Speaker of the House the sum of seventy-five pounds, and for each member of the House, thirty pounds, for their attendance during the present Session, together with their travelling charges in coming to and returning from the House of Assembly.
And a sum of seven thousand six hundred and eighty pounds, at the disposal of the Government, to pay the Salaries and allowances provided for by Statute.
And, in consequence of the threatened invasion of the British Colonies by bands of Fenian marauders, that a sum sufficient be granted and placed at the disposal of the Government for the purpose of organizing the Militia and Volunteers, and for such other Military purposes as may be deemed expedient for the protection and the defence of the Colony.