.iS- «7:^ 'f ''rM » "V^ ^ '/ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 ■ so "^^ ^^H U |3|2 Ui I.I 1.25 IK U U |3.« IM |Z2 |Z0 1.8 1.4 I 1.6 150mm /1PPLIED A IISA4GE . Inc ^^ 1653 ^ ^st Main Street ^^S'li Rochester, NY 14609 USA ^S^ Phone: 716/482-0300 .^^I^S Fax: 716/288-5989 1993. Applied Image. Irtc.. All Rights Reserved {^ <; m ^v ^\ <^ 'V,RE ''''"'^' "* ^• cou E.C0110.CU lo Tro. Honurajlo MARQUIS d^RNE, ::.!., r. j.. Oouv.r.ou^ amoral iu Canada OFFJCIERS POUR LANNEE 1882-83 Okkic;ikrh : • • de France.. ^-MAUKICh. Meinl.r... de Iu .S.,oi^(^ .los (}o,m ,1.. I.-tiroH SKCRftTAiRK:_BT.:N.IAMIN SULTK. MEMBRES FONDATEURS- «0I8 (L ABHf;) Maakinongj', Qndbec ItoURASHA, (NAPoi.fcoN), Montreal u2Z;^a^0N^' P ':5^';*1 f-t^n. OJhder d. HnHtnu.ion PuLIi,,... ,,. Fran... (i„.N. France. Montni^'-^- ^*'''^''' ^' '^'"'•-- ^>«i'^HT '•« I'lnHtnuai.,.- r„|,Ii,,... j., 1>kCazk8 (I'aitl), gu«5lMM!. I^fNN, (OSCAK), guobcc. ' li(.UTrriiiB (i.'Ho». Juce), Detour 4, Lettre,, (J„a>^j. - .^.'Vf^S^f'^.. iJ'J", 1 ,- .. .5 ^w^^^^^^H l^^^^^^^tiT^L^ '^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^B ■ .v^mnmt ( n 1 ■ ■ th^" mj f~r^ SionoN II, 1888. 1 13 J Teams. Eot. Soo. Canada. [v.l.vij U.~~ne La$t Decade of French Huh at Quebec, 1749—1769. By J. M. LkMoine. (R«a>«*• »»<* t« -q^'^i"* you with the very text of a curious memoir bearing on those times, adding a few comments Thil memoir. I have reason to believe, is little known to the English-speaking coZu" ty. tL being so far no translation into their language. «"uimy. mere «»,,• l".l^ y««^ 1888. a committee of the Literary and Historical Society, of Quebec of the orooir^^^^^ KvT ^- 1"^'^"' ""^ ^'^^ '^'*''"« «P"'*' -««^ "P- ihe associ tion .member of the committee by an influential person in Montreal, who received it from Gen ^enTl'so eZ'a" Z ^'^ "^'"T* "™'"'^"'^*"* '" *^^^ ^'^^ = ^^^ seems to have been also extant a second copy, m the possession of the Hon. Thos. Dunn, a hi-rh official L^H \ f"" "'"' '' '^"^ communicated this document to the 5on Wm QTewTn 181? ^'"''*" ''°" '' '" ^" " "^'"'''^ °' ^'^•^^*'" P«^>'«»»-1 •»» the h^^ ^^"'f' presents a paphic. dark but vivacious portraiture of the dealings of the high officials, during the last years of French power. It is quite in accord with the record drawn up by the general historian, only it is much more circumlnUal in Jai "" r 71 ^''''\^''' ""^ °®'"^ ^•"««^^' *^™'"«d behind the scenes, but ready o handle without gloves the accomplished villains, who dishonored France ani oppressed the colony. Canada, deserted and betrayed, seems to have been ripe for a change of rut On perusing this memoir, one can easily understand why the oppressed and neglected :!rm^:sredt:^ "^"^^^ ''- -^^ -'''-- -'' '- ^~ - - - ^^ ^^ - the ::::'a;:Tf z^^t^t""' '' *'" ^^^^^-^ ^^^' - -"'^"^^^ ^^^-^«^ ^^ __Ptepai ^ the downfall of French po werjn New France. Selfi shness, luat. and AnZ'TS:^i.tL^i:^l^' ':TZoS'^ ^ "iTt^""^' '- «™"' «* --- »« Gouvemen.e„t depul, 1749 ju.au'» ItJo entTSr. ?J:l°rl.'!?'2'_!';;!f ^ "."'!" ">.«""« " ^--^ - •« C^n^i- Litton, et Hlatorique Ue Qu.beJen ISSs! B.:i.pri.Vp:,;,;;:rS;rT5idT;iT^^ ""''•* i 14 LiMOINE ON THE LAST i-die., With J...;:rt,ii!;'z r^ 1"™"*" '" •^™"»'' '» ">• "«' ."o w«. thy hMulete, will yei h„ j„, „1 ° °\° ""'= l^'y "'««'•. thy .qn.re,, th, PJ.CM o« earth, . p„„„, ;h„ ,.„ Sd r^m^hT^' T, r'"" """"' ' ™o« i. ye,, L„e„T «" " •^""««- -"-your oM tirs^!:: b"^;1""" "•" «■" ''"^•°'«' ■°"' y°» -y ro' vioj., luxury, „„bHdied .i.oi wet :™p::u;t.u:''': °: '° ■"■"•"' ««•" '-"'"• higher clergy ; „pe„ pr„fli ,j .^J 0„r P'""'"8r«<« «l«"«., the noble, .nd from France; ,he l„..„r c. J„" h ttir ril '"•'";«',''-•' '"•«!»-" and her offloUI. The French Sultan, U,i,XV,Jl,„J^"Jr,r °' """• ™" «""» «P«».ive. •».ile.ofUP„„p^„„ Quebec ,„„!!^,J '", '^:""""' '"' ™""-'«'. "« through ^^ b.nk. of the St. C6.rle.. GUded ;7ce' Z,^ f' °>i»i«t»re French court, on the grT Prey«i on .he vital, of the p^lo. . 1" t, '' "".V'""','"''" ■"'""« ^ ''""" f'^" .elfl.hne.., rapine, everywhere, exc*pZ~ ''/'"':'"■ I'"" «> •' Q»»b«c L«.t, Tach«, de Lery, de St. Our., and a few o^her" if„!! *""'"!' '''' '" ^'•"' *« Bo-«eu. -.;..:r,L;ir::i2:7 -- ^ ron.pad.ur.. ..,, p_, ^igo.. h.do:"p;::,,hThXrpLmr"?intnr„:' "■," '"'■ ""'•"■P-.o coming .. Oan.d.. inveterate gambler. Had ho confined hi. oC»H f""'*' "'* ''«"■>«. «■"» «« I™'"?".?"'" "«- «-t,d but IU,lcel™^7""""''"°"~«"!?. hi. commercial offlco, and q„„e i„,nmcie„t to meet the ZondUn^ h^ "'",'"' '° "" ™PO'f»oe of hi' n^ulation, hi, venality, ,he extortion. p'^UceTot''''' °"'"' '"" •'™ '°'°- » or thr^ori^giur^t; rfcr.^r r-""':- -^^^^ t««urer.goneral, Imbert. P«an wfu, the ^ef anl awTr""'"' ^"'^" P«*» ■ »' the m the charm, of hi. wife, M«lame P6.n !* In^v . ' ^'"''" '"<" 't court lay P"tty, witty, attractive, of re^y rl^^itTl"^'"' ''» "''»'«'• "ho wa, yonVhW w» «.ti.,,y ^ed by her during T^^, T.i^Z'^MI.lV '^»"" ^^ DECADE OP PRKNOH RULB. le street, he upont hi. evouings ; there he wa« sought and found, in May, 1769. by Colonel de Bougainville, returning from Paris, the boarer of the official diaputohe., announcing the impending ntruggle. Here are some of the pen photographs whirh the clever writer of the memoirs has left-disclosing the corrupt surroundings of the luxurious intendant : '— ''Brassard Deschenaux, the son of a poor cobbler, was lK)rn at Quebec. A notary who boarded with Deschenaux senior, had taught his «>n to read. Naturally quick and intelligent, young Deschenaux made rapid progress under his tuition and had soon some- thing to do in the office of Intendant Hocquart, where Bigot found him and succeeded in having him named a clerk in the Colonial Office at Quebec. Industrious, but at heart a sycophant, by dint of cringing he won the good graces of Bigot, who soon put unlimited trust in him to such a degree that he attempted nothing without Dcschenaux's aid. But Demhenaux was vain, aspiring, haughty, overbearing, and of such inordinate greed that he was in the habit of boasting ' that to get riches he would even rob a chur. h.' "Cadet was the son of a butcher. In his youth he was employed in minding the cattle of a peasant. He next set up as a butcher and made money. His savings he invested m trade ; his intriguing spirit had brought him to the notice of the intendant, who awardi'd him contracts to supply meat to the army. Deschenaux was not long in discovering that Cadet would be useful to him. He made a friend of him and lost no opportunity of recommending him to the intendant. He was accordingly often employed to buy the supplies for the maintenance of the army. In truth there were few men more active, more industrious, more competent to drive a bargain. The King required his •services and requited them by having Cadet named commissary-general. Cadet had his redeeming points : he was open-handed in his dealings, kindly in manner and lavish to excess in expenditure." The worthy commissary-general, like Vf \ was blessed with a charming wife, whom Panet's Siege Diary styles Lu Belle Amazont Aventuri^e. Probably, like her worthy spouse, of low extraction; "elle n'6tant pas sortie de la cuisse de Jupiter," to use a familiar French saw. Madame Cadet, later on. transferred her allegiance from the rich butcher Cadet to one "Sieur Joseph Ruffio." Hugh P6au. a Canadian by birth, had succeeded his father Capt. Hughes P6an, town-major of Quebec. Totally unfit for the post, he had been re- Old memoin Aimmh carious details of the fiittings of the great intendant between Quebec and Montreal. The parliamenUry library in this city (Ottawa) contains a lengthy and interesting MS. account, written by a French official of the day, M. Franquet, inspector of fortifications in New France, in 1762. Franquet came here charged with an important mission. He was just the man whom Bigot thought should be dined and wine,! properly. Thus we find the royal inspector invite.1 to join the intendant on a voyage to Montreal. The govern- ment "Gondola," a long, flat bateau, propelled by sails as well as by oar^ accordingly left the Cul de &m! landing at Quebec, on July 24th. 1762. Itcou.d carry eight hundre'nmoml,.d to the OovKmrnenl i,„ tk •. 7 "■" Oov-rnmon; ; h,. ««, ,harired «i!^T ■ "" 'I"""'"'' "^ "'"■»' «■•« required ""'"■"..j.-r. now w„. hi. ro^ZthTh,. r°* " '■'""" ''y • '•">'' "' .tore T tt '•>»« -nm out of the lr,.»,„ry to buv ,h J"/"™''' *"'"'. h" provided IVn,, „" h . h.n th.. .. „bi„i p,.„ ^,^ p;™,"^^""™-"- <.....g the price „f g,.,, „„,h ^J^ " "■" '"'« "'-d by the orJ,„l„ TuilZr '°r-""J°' '•'■"g-l it to the Oovernmen rr '"^"' "« ""t tried hi,T.;,i » h .n r ° '^'"""" "•" '»° ™te. left hi,„ . h" M 'o Wp co,....»tly i„ .■o,„„,..i„„ t , " ' o'"* "°"""'* ""■"• "">i.l. he could 1^ ■l.v,„,, however, were re.orted to a . 'it „.'""",:" ' "■"' ""° «»' '"''"tive. "h^ w to p„rch«,e „he„t in the Z.h u "^ "' '^'"°' 'to'okeep.T at Quebee (Z, 'o be «n. .bro«i .e-retlyC,;' ha'dV' '""""' " * ■"'" ->« '"•' '™od ,h. ^ £^^r:4Sri:r^SS^^F— ret«l b«,,„e., „„ ,,„j,4 „^ 'J- ""■■g« of th,. eaUbliahmeu,, where a ,mM ■nprov«iona aud ooucentrate it the e Cl.t ^'°' ""*'' ■»°»«Poli.e the Me «au ed aunually, „„d ordered from FroT fot Ibe i ? '"°™'°"" "^ ™Ppliesa.„„e Ilwa.cu,tomaryforthei„te„d«,Tr„V J"* '"'''"' '^»"'««- P.™. Bigot took care to order "Xu" 1 1'""' T""' '''>"''''■"" f" «PpHe. to 1..V-0 an excuse to order the remai„rer°lr""''''"' "'"'' ""' "«"t«d. T^ Z 7' '0 Clavery. warehou.e, wh™ the . I™ :"""'' "' '>'"^- The o deTsl e ™to.. Soon the P^ple »„ thro„;h he deeeit'^d'.r" ""''' """«"■■.»' i«orerd m eonaequence, £« J.^,. (the uhea.L, T'' f 'J:' ''•>°'i'»fy of fraud waa ealllT Quebec for food .upp.ie.,au''«'' I""'"' off tC^' ofB,g„f,ring, trade at that date wmvI, ! T ''""' ""> ''™«'»>» Proceeding ~ r^'-.'X-- >- -«= -:.»r ffr:,- sr « .urrendert' trEnJiiX he a'etStrOu'r"'r "'"""''«' " P"' R°H. On it. '" ™'>'°^- He had a brother ^ r. ^:'^:T-"^ "n. to .ell' "5" "« innaeuce he and ^*»-.«*»M<*Wi i'tii wii i mii i i DECADE OF KRKNCII KUUfi. 17 three other of hi, brother, found prot.L.r,. who pushed them on beyond their mont sanguine hopeN. Varin .u.d Mart.I. by monopoli.iuj^ the oulli.H o| the trader, and of their can,..,, with the .«,».,tan.e oi the Fn,H,nne, brought .onuuerce at Montreal to I.h hnvent ebb. and rained a storm ol indignation worth e«, eerk. previously expeUed from neveral menaniile houH.. for hi, roguerL but wi hal. intelligent and a good bu«ine.« man. Corpn.n having a nhare in ("adefH venU.re. had beeome bin .onHdential ag.nt. IIi„ ....ehing eye pri'd the Hrst into the C returuH and publie ae.ount, of expenditur.. furnished to the Co.n.nisHury General. None knew what hi. partieular nhare of .h. Hpoil» n.i.ht be. but ere long h' wa« reputed o be enormously wealthy. The .-barge of Montreal and of th- more distant post weL entrusted to I'enisseault and Maurin. " Penisseault was preeminent for out-d.K.r duty ; sucessful in . ondu.ting ne^otia- tions and in overseeing publie works; ever watehful. but tre.-herous an« «*'^*« «f things have lasted under the Bourbons ? Madame de Pompadour, who ruled at Versailles, und^r the name of I^u.s XV. was. unquestionably, well represented at Quebec. Here is what the memoir «ay of this notable member of the ring :— memoirs «ini«lf '""'' ""^ '^'^T ^"'""'"'^ ™"" '" '^' ^^'"'^J^: he was a hunchback, with a Z w t3"" " ^: "' ^r"' " '" "'°'^ '^P^'*"^^'"*' »^"* -^-« had imparted to him wit and even culture. He carried expenditure, in Canada, to its extreme limit and as to hoarding money. Cadet could not have selected two more successful men Zi Maurin [and Corpron] uniting craftiness to vexatious means. Never >vas Therein th m^LT '.T f " .'"^ '''™^^' '^^^"^"^ '''^^'''' ^""^"'"^ hy profuse expenditure-re- maining defiant and unpunished." iiure— re It seems incredible to realise the horde of low-born parasites and hirelings sarround- ZlTprn '^"""'"^'^•^^"^'^^"^ women paying court to the reigning favourite. Sec. II, 1888. & I It LillOINK ON TnR LAW "'■■ inl «nUh,.,. „rg„.a „"1 ,, ' "'""'"'"""'"1 '"kI'.t r....- ; ih.l <.yinr":r::.:r"i;;,r:i"::i;:;:-.i' ".';",V7»'--' - p-™. ..... ,,„pu. r™ .h«., «v„ „..„,..„,y. «„,„„ „ '. t ,1^1 7';" "'-■—;")■■ «,.propri.,i„g „„„ X,, .»dh.d thorn ,„,„i„„„d by h ™;, ,t , r".^" '";"■'">■• ""• •"■•■r o„ ,h„ «..,..h. 'W...,n.d.<,hav,.tho„,.„.°r„';„77o ''? "'•"•■'"■"»"• ™h" '"""•''™. .h™ and •»t. Bigot wa. af.,.,„ard. ad ".^d „ .i, ""I'" I""'""""* '° '"""''" •""" ""> '"'."d. •>.ey w... «, ™altr....ed and bult. ,h' ' h': w; h"'''" "'7,"l"»-"'-' '>'•- »!■„, «««p-db..i„g ,hr„„.„ j„,„ ,,ri,„„' s ',,,,-<• "'''' """* ""' ""'>'''""' .™rcer every day. The inte dZ hfd '," ''"' '° """'"'""■ """'I "" K^'.^ft day. Hied; .he loavea were .rrLdM .. T . ., ■"'°''''' "'"^'''■^ "" '"''"i"' o„ the Pl.i.ed that theycouu ot", ,!.:'"'''""'' ""•""•^""^ ".other, of fa,„i|i™ ..„ J p.i.™,»ith)o»dw„..ro„.' ,:L„r7r"r°":"' ''■"'-«'"' "■" '""-"•■" '■■ <•« who Mired gorged with luxar ou. Ihi ' tV ' '"'"'"'"■'"'> ''^ ' '"«d of fla,.,.rer., poor could die of hunger. "' ""' ■""'»''«"' ™»ld «ol underatand how the I-ui.;.ed«.o„.,y,p:trr„:;,tw:teh.4ovX'cI;rf f'""""""' ''^ '"« «-' depth of de.pair, .hall we .av, degrada.bn ■ art^h! tj T ""'' ^'°'"'"»"' "> "l"' l..ve you then „o mor.. defe.^de« to pm Uh ^ '" ^"""^ "^ ""? °f Q""!"-, tion ? Ha, the,, that d.untle» JZr! , ? . ' '" ''"" '""""^<' *•"'" "' «oe and deaer- de Eouville, d,. B^caneo,^" d^ I^n igny taT T'T '"" ""•""""• «" ™- ■ The limit of „y addr.,, forbM. r^;hZC7he"h 7" '^ '""^ '"^ '°""«"°'» ' when the roll of mufHed dram, and voiLltZ v^ he«rtrend„,g .cene in our city, le^ier, Montcalm, had j«.trturtdtro»„rs'T ''""a ?""/'"' '^^^^^ ■Wckea auto death. "*'' ®'- ^'"' »«'" '">"■ hi. laat campaign, Madame P^an had whom she choo,. «nnni„7 i .T^' ^^"^ «*">»««'" to their advancement," ,av the M«JJ! PW WWWWPi'WJ DKCADK OF FIIKNCII KITLE. |q Two .kilful norelist.. our ro\h,^,,, ,he on« In th« English Ittngua^.., Wm. Kirby graphic h.-ton..«l romunn. out of .h« .natoriab whi.h th. .aroor of Int.ndan. HIgot. anS Ono llaHh of M„.Hh.„« l.ghtH up th. lat-.t pha«. of Fron.-h rule the sturdy d.vo, ion of th. ( unachan m.i.tia towanln i.n oblivioun mother oounlry ; thoir f.atH at th« IkJu ort ongag.„..„tH. on July .,«». .7.9, n.,r «,H«i„... a. anxilLri... alt.r th .a t of h Man. oi A..rah.un and at I.vi'. vutory at Sto. Foy.. ou April .8th. 1760. a day glo Hon to French arni8, hut a bootloHM victory. ' g'oriouH You have Jnst wit„..««..d the fall o| the curtain over the l.u.t Hccne of the great Wench drama, a pageant on.e ko gorgeouH at Qnehcc-now. alaa ! very «orr. wAl lit «- for a .nomcnt. dwell ..„ the ntern Justice visited by oblivious Fran. e. on tlead "^ a.^orB a. the re.ent ^renen of public plunder, rapine, lunt'-some Hay-treason perpetrate fifty-live of them had been indi.ted. treason, p. rpetrated , On December 10th. 1708. u Koyal commiBsion of twenty.«even judges at the Chatelet n rar,H. pre^ded over by M. de ««rtineH. lieutenant-general of policrd; il ^ th t^^^ oTd^;:; ■ ^^:H^^*^^^'°^" v^^'' :" •"- ^^'"""^•"'•••"- ^- '- "^'-" -nt^ha J lo. Kea up in the Uastille awaiting their trial :— c,„„.-K,.. ,™„. ,.„,.,„„„; , ^ .i,,.'™:., «;ri-,:i I'Zi '- ■"" •*»•- ^ ■» "«■■*'■ ri.»M.Ai,T.-Nli„ ,„.„■ exile ; too h.r,.. 1|„,, .„J „„,„,„ ,„ ,, „„,„,,„, ««ii«i».-Nlni.)e.™'«,l|„; liOlll,m.,l„»,.,wl(im,0(loi„l,onmn,l,Kl ^""''•~^'"°" ^'° '" «'"°""'««H^I'^.„.„„ „ ,.W.toth.,,o.,, .„d ,n«,«00 ■„ L. „,„„J,, «.lve«tl,e comment of the colony, am! which renulte,! „ t..„ ^ "'• I'"rt»o«« of mono,M,li^i„g to them- entries were ™a.le«„alive to eoL....,i,ie ;„7lelaria our^l'eTT ° '"""-^ble frauds; that false price, and quantities were ovematod so as to rL^rT ."" ^"'K'"'"vice. in which the that on one occasion the cargo of ." ca .tLT VmITT' T"/? "'"^ ''■""™'-"^' '" "'« ''ansactions ; for ei,ht hund^ thousand In.; :d,^. £t Z l^oTim 7" ''"""'^' "" "" '^"'«'' -«-»"» confederates had reah^,l pro.l.s a.nountingt^ twef ni 1 In f" V "' " '"""^ °' ''" '"''^ ''«« "'« purchase of provisions and eMuipine'^tim Bi.ot anr.l a "^^^ r'"^'!' '"---t-"" concerning the Kigantic frauds, bribed tiK,co„,LLla„,s, J n^ilSs audi arir'' '7' " "? '^"''"" "' ^^^'^"''^ "'«" the pretext of provisioning the different f^rti 3 sTatiorof ZtT . "^ "' ""* "^^""'' '"'^^ ' "-»■ ""«!«' supplies which were fl.^ti.ious. existing only o .a^^^aVatl^J^^^^^^^^^^^^ T'^'' '"' the transport of nece«,aries tlm King was charged for ration^.ndZiseul« I. •? •'" """'*" *«'« '^"»>°"t cargoes of merchandise, imported at the cxl e o 7" K L w«« n'r "«^«'' '"™'"'«'» ^o the troops; that at a fourfold price ; that .S^. the King warri^'.^C^^^^^^^ "'^" "^'^ ^ '»>« ^'»« two or th«« times over, the soldiers and militia were sufforina frL w!^„„ , r . \ '^^''"''"* °' ""^P"* those necewarios which had been provided by the KTn/for Zr . T. . .f r **^ *** ''"^ "* "'«'' <""» «»» well as several officers being in lej^ue to defl tit "^i ; ^Z:^t^l:TT' n" ''^ ?'"''''"**«'' - even raise their voices against the adminiatr.iinn „„ f / . ^"'®*^ Muld not obUinjusti.* or .har^s in the contracts for sup li; t ITb gtt cZd 1 si o7 T "'?'""" ^'"^ ^'"'''^' ^ •^"^ -^ very low prices to his agents Lord;rtrp^rbvTes^^^^^^^^ ''"'«'« "«»»"♦'*<' »« °"«le at and that finally Bigot a„d his subordina^te. lu: 'rrl''!^!:.!'* '" ^»"' ."^^'-'^ -^ "^ •^-^"e.-; conc«»i iheirfraudnient practices, falsifying everything reIaUnff"to .hTlM^ T'"''' acciaralious and entries to nature, object „,d amounts." MiWs History of CanJa, FrcVCmeTsio"'""'" ' '""^"^ ^'*''' """' BH-. 20 Lbmoine on the last decade of fkench rule. Ohoi,r Zi. XV'. I „M ""X^"^""' f"'"-™"!' '"cooeded, through the Duke of funded. re paid. Duke of missiou madiau