At a Court of Admiralty held on Friday, the 27th August, 1785, for the trial of piracies committed upon the high seas, M. Buckley and Belitham Taylor were tried, committed and sentenced to death for running away with the schooner John Miller of Chedabucto and her cargo. Two men were also hanged this year for robbery committed to the eastward of Halifax.
The death of the Chief Justice, Bryan Finucane, having occurred this year, Judge Isaac Deschamps filled the office until the appointment of Chief Justice Pemberton. Judge Finucane was buried under St. Paul's Church. His escutcheon is in the gallery.
A general election occurred in 1785, when Mr. S. S. Blowers, John George Pyke, Richard John Uniacke and Michael Wallace were returned for the County, and John Fillis and William Cochran for the town.
The whale fishery was the chief subject which engaged the attention of the public during the year. Much advantage was expected to accrue to the commerce of the place from the Quakers from Nantucket having undertaken to settle in Dartmouth. They went on prosperously for a short time, until they found the commercial regulations established in England for the Colonies were hostile to their interests, and they eventually removed, some of them, it is said, to Wales and other parts of Great Britain, where they carried on their fishery to more advantage.
A petition was presented this autumn to the Governor and Council from a number of merchants, tradesmen and other inhabitants, praying for a Charter of Incorporation for the Town. This was the first occasion on which the subject was brought prominently before the public. It was, however, not deemed by the government "expedient or necessary" to comply with the prayer of the petition. The reasons are not given in the Minute of Council, which bears date 17th November, 1785. The names of the Councillors present were Richard Bulkeley, Henry Newton, Jonathan Binney, Arthur Goold, Alexander Brymer, Thomas Cochran and Charles Morris. The functions of His Majesty's Council at this period of our history embraced all departments of executive authority in the Colony. They were equally supreme in the control of town affairs as those of the province at large. The magistrates, though nominally the executive of the town, never acted in any matter of moment without consulting the Governor and Council. The existence of a corporate body having the sole control of town affairs would in a great measure deprive them of that supervision which they no doubt deemed, for the interest of the community, should remain in the Governor and Council.
1786. It was customary at this period to celebrate the Royal birthdays and almost all public holidays by a levee at Government House, a review of the troops in garrison on the Common, and occasionally a public ball, either by the Governor at Government House or by the inhabitants of the town at the public assembly room. This custom continued in Halifax until about the year 1844 or 1845, when it was broken through by Governor Falkland. On the 18th June, 1786, Queen Charlotte's birthday was celebrated in the town by a levee and review, and in the evening by a ball in the old Pontac building. The confectionery on this occasion was very superb. It was prepared by one Signor Lenzi. The ball commenced at half-past eight, supper was announced by the elevation of a curtain that separated the two rooms. In the middle of the table there arose an artificial fountain, with the temples of Health and Venus at the top and bottom, all constructed of sugar. The Gazette of the time says, they "did not go home till morning."
A regular post communication was opened this summer with Annapolis; a courier was engaged, who went through once a fortnight with the mail between Halifax and Annapolis. John Howe, who had lately come to Halifax from Boston and had established a newspaper, was at this time postmaster; he succeeded Mr. Stevens. The following spring (1786) the town was so enveloped in smoke for many days as almost to impede business, caused by a great fire which raged in the woods in the neighbourhood.
On 10th October, 1786, arrived His Majesty's Ship Pegasus, commanded by His Royal Highness Prince William Henry. He was received at the King's Slip by Governor Parr and Major General Campbell, then in command of the Garrison, and conducted to the Government House, which stood in the square now occupied by the Province Building, where he was waited upon by the military and the principal inhabitants. The Prince expressed a desire that all display should be laid aside, but the people illuminated their dwellings, and by 8 o'clock the whole town was lighted and the streets crowded with people.
In the Gazette of the 9th February, 1786, appears a resolution and engagement entered into by the merchants and others at a public meeting lately held in Halifax, wherein they pledged themselves neither to buy nor sell articles imported from the United States, prohibited by the Governor's proclamation. The document is signed by 75 persons.
On 28th February, a German Society was formed in Halifax, when John W. Schwartz was chosen President, Doctor F. Gschwint, (pronounced Swint) Vice-President, Godfrey Schwartz Treasurer, Henry Uthoff Secretary. In 1790 Adolphus Veith was secretary of this Society.