purpose, if possible, of rousing the indignation of the electors to some act of violence.

The Canadians also complain, that when a legal inquiry was afterwards instituted, the nomination of the jury, the trifling cognisances in which the parties were bound, and the manner of conducting the inquest, were all managed with partiality.

The mighty consequence of preserving the affection and loyalty of his Majesty's subjects in Canada, and the great value of that country, have never been justly appreciated. The present state of Canada requires the most serious attention of the imperial government. The measures which claim the first attention, are, allowing the legislature to manage their local affairs; an impartial appointment of all persons in places of profit and trust; and placing the whole revenue at the disposal of the Colonial Parliament. By wise policy, this vast province may be long secured to the British empire.

31.

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GOVERNMENT AND LAWS OF CANADA. – QUEBEC

CANADA QUEBEC ACT. - PART TION OF THE PROVINCE. COUNTIES AND REPRESENTATION. COUTUMENDE PARIS. NEW DIVISION OF THE PROVINCEN CONSTITUTION OF THE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAWS. DISTRICTS.- COURTS, JUDGES, UDGES, LAWYERS NOTARIES. - CANADIAN LAWS, ESTATES, AND TENURES. REVENUE.Ivr CIVIL LIST. - MILITARY FORCE. PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS PUBLIC BURDENS AND EXPENDITUREL ETCES!!

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THE Quebec Act, which passed in the e year 1774, fixed the boundaries of Canada. It then compi hended the lower and upper provinces, according to their present limits, and also a vast tract of country lying between Lake Erie and the Ohio and Mississippi, and extending north from the St. Lawrence to the latitude of 52°, being the boundary of Hudson's Bay. The British were afterwards wheedled, certainly not forced, out of the latter valuable terri tory. By this act all former provisions made for the province were declared null and void; and it enacted also, "That his Majesty's subjects professing the religion of the Church of Rome, in the said province of Quebec, may have, hold, and enjoy, the free exercise of the religion of the Church of Rome, subject to the king's supremacy, (as by Act 1 Elizabeth,) and that the clergy of the said church may hold, receive, and enjoy, their accustomed dues and rights with respect to such persons only as shall profess

the said religion." "That it shall be lawful for his Majesty, his heirs or successors, to make such provision out of the list of the said accustomed dues and rights for the support of the Protestant clergy, within the said province, as he or they shall from time to time think necessary and expedient." By this act, the Canadians, religious orders excepted, were secured in all their property and possessions, with recourse to the French laws of Canada, in all matters of controversy, but not to extend to lands granted by his Majesty in common soccage. The criminal laws of England only were to be continued. It also appointed a council with the power to make ordinances, with the consent of the governor; but not to impose taxes, except for making roads. These ordinances were to be laid before his Majesty for allowance, and those touching religion not to be in force until approved of by the king. It left also to the king the power of constituting courts of criminal, civil, and ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

This act appears to have been founded on a petition and memorial to the king from the Canadians. The English residents, who held several meetings some time before, in order to obtain a legislative assembly, stated afterwards in their proceedings, "That this act was by no means agreeable to the great body of the Canadians - that the number of names to it were only 65; some of these were signed by lads of fifteen or sixteen years; while to the petition of the English residents there were 148 names; and that there was no wish to re-establish the French laws, except on the part of the priests," and " that the said act of Parliament is a wicked and abominable act, that authorises a bloody religion, which spreads

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around it, wherever it is propagated, impiety, murders, and rebellion." The latter assertion was also made ample use of by the American provincialists as their standard argument for invading Canada during the revolutionary war. The Canadians were, however, highly satisfied with the order of government esta blished by this act - they had every possible reason for being so; and it must be admitted that, considering the condition of Canada at that period, there was but one possible objection to the act on the part of the English - that was, re-establishing the French laws of Canada: but, without outraging the ideas and regulations of seven eighths of the inhabitants, no other plan could be adopted.

Under this act the government of Canada was administered until 1791, when Mr. Pitt introduced the act commonly called the Constitutional Act. It divided Canada into two provinces; and each province into districts and counties, with legislative assemblies. To Upper Canada it granted a separate legislative constitution. To Lower Canada it gave a constitutional government*, consisting of a governor, exe cutive and legislative councils, and a representative assembly. The governor, by virtue of this act, divided the province into twenty-one counties. The House of Assembly then consisted of fifty members, thirtynine of whom were knights representing the counties - eight citizens, four each for the cities of Quebec and Montreal and three burgesses, two for Three Rivers, and one for William Henry.to beiou

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* The constitutions of the Canadas differ from those of all the other colonies, inasmuch as all the others are constitutions by royal charter, whereas those of Canada are established by act of parliament. 197 0901

The lower province was accordingly divided into the following counties, viz.: - Bedford, Buckinghamshire, Cornwallis, Devon, Dorchester, Effingham, Gaspè, Hampshire, Hertford, Huntingdon, Kent, Leinster, Montreal, Northumberland, Orleans, Quebee, Richelieu, St. Maurice, Surrey, Warwick, and York; all of which elected each two representatives, excepting Bedford, Gaspè, Orleans, and York, which only elected one member for each county.

The boundaries of the province by this act are described as follows:- "To commence at a stone boundary on the north bank of Lake St. Francis, at the cove west of Pointe au Baudet, in the limit between the township of Lancaster and the seigniory of New Longueuil, running along the said limit in the direction of north 34° west, to the westernmost angle of the said seigniory of New Longueuil; then along the north-western boundary of the seigniory of Vaudreuil, running north 25° east, until it strikes the Ottawa river, to ascend the said river into the Lake Temiscaming, and from the head of the said lake by a line due north until it strikes the boundary of Hudson's Bay (in latitude 52° north), including all the territory to the westward and southward of said line, to the utmost extent of the country called or known by the name of Canada."

The statute of the 6 Geo. IV. extends the eastern limits to a line due north to latitude 52° from Anse au Sablon, instead of the river St. John, and includes also the island of Anticosti.

The French law and language were still retained in the courts and the Legislative Assembly. In a British province both these admissions may appear (and at first they did so to me) inconvenient, if not