Threat of Government Scandal
Much of William Townshend's early life is unclear, up until the point when he became collector of customs and naval officer for St. John's Island (today known as Prince Edward Island). Speculation states that Townshend may have obtained the appointment because of a family connection with George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, although others have said that Townshend had many connections with powerful officials in England.
Townshend arrived on the island in 1784 and was appointed to the Executive Council that December. Tension was soon built between Townshend and the island's colonial governor, Walter Patterson, who may have been angry that Townshend's appointment had come directly from the British Administration, Lord Sydney, the Home Secretary.
Townshend had a secure place with the government of the colony, and was soon involved in Patterson's scheme to seize land from absentee landlords. Being a member of the council, he was present when legislation was passed on the land seizures, which had gone against the British government. A report was written and charges were brought to Townshend, as well as to many other officials.
However, Townshend had still objected to the measures of the legislation, and had resigned. When the British Privy Council concluded its report in 1789, Townshend, who had resumed his seat in April 1787, was reported as being innocently drawn into the affair, and was permitted to keep his job, one of only a handful in the colony to do so. Governor Patterson, however, was removed from office in late 1789 and was replaced by Edmund Fanning. (Some sources show that Patterson was officially dismissed from office by Lord Sydney in the Spring of 1787.)
Read more about this topic: William Townshend (colonial Governor)
Famous quotes containing the words threat of, threat, government and/or scandal:
“The sickness of our times for me has been just this damn thing that everything has been getting smaller and smaller and less and less important, that the romantic spirit has dried up, that there is no shame today.... We’re all getting so mean and small and petty and ridiculous, and we all live under the threat of extermination.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“The sickness of our times for me has been just this damn thing that everything has been getting smaller and smaller and less and less important, that the romantic spirit has dried up, that there is no shame today.... We’re all getting so mean and small and petty and ridiculous, and we all live under the threat of extermination.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, unknown, arbitrary will of another man.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)
“There’s no scandal like rags, nor any crime so shameful as poverty.”
—George Farquhar (1678–1707)