The Home Government
(God bless it! as the very loyal Provincials used to say when the
Imperial Parliament took their cause under consideration) thought
little about the outside Nova Scotians, except to say, once in a
while, that the territory they inhabited belonged to her Majesty,
which fact the people of the province were forcibly reminded of by the
presence of imported gentlemen, whom it had pleased her Majesty to
place in all responsible offices. In fact, the Home Government,
through its pewter-headed policy, was for ever making laws to suit the
immediate demands of a favored few, who said good things of loyalty
and toryism, and left the rest to chance.
"During this state of affairs, Skipper Hornblower's fame sounded far
and wide, and many were the stories told of his smuggling exploits,
and how Squire Burgle always kept a large stock of British goods on
hand, which he never sold cheaper than any body else, though he got
richer. Hornblower's account of how he and the Squire carried on
business together in the good old times may not be uninteresting,
'Squire Burgle,' said Hornblower, 'was a great man in them days, said
a sight of good things in his prayers every night and morning,
denounced smuggling, and hoped all those fearless men that followed it
would see the error of their way, turn to her Majesty, and make their
loyalty honor the State.
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