IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // % // >-^ 4^ 1.0 I.I IttlM 125 ■tt l&i 12.2 ^ L£ 12.0 HMU 6" Sciences Corporalion ^ 33 VMHT MAIN STRHT WIMTII,N.Y. USM (71*)I71-4S03 '^Vs^^'* ^ 4^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian InatHut* for HIatorical MIctoraproductlona / InatKin Canadian da mietofaprnductlona hlatorlquaa '^^ TMhnioal and Bibliographic Notas/Notos tachniquas at bibliograpliiquas Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy avaiiabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibllographtoally uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa In tha raproduction, or whfeh may aignlfloantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, §n ohaokad balow. D Colourad own/ Couvartura da eoulaur I I Covara damagad/ Couvartura trndomma^^ Covara raatorad and/or lamlnatad/ Couvartura r—taw^ at/ou pallieulAa Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua Colourad mapa/ Cartaa giographiquat tn eoulaur Colourad ink (i,a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da eoulaur (i,a. autre qu9 bl%ua ou noira) rn Colourad pfataa Bnd/or llluatratlona/ D Planehaa at/ou llluatratlona an eoulaur Bound with othar material/ Rail* avae d'autrM doeumenta Tight binding may eauae ahadowt or diatortion along interior margin/ La f« iiure §9n^9 peut a§ufr de I'ombra ou da la diatortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leavaa added during reatoration may appear within the text. Whenever poaaibia, thaaa have been omitted from filming/ II aa peut que eertainea pagea blanehaa ajoutiaa lore d'une reetauration apparalaaent dana la taxta, mala, loraque eela Atait poaaibia, caa pagea n'ont pea M filmAea, Additional commenta:/ Commentairea •upplAmentairaa; Thi tot L'Inatitut a microfiima le maillaur axampiaire qu'ii lui a M poaaibia da aa procurer. Las datails da cat axampiaire qui sont paut-Atra uniques du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modifier una image raproduita. ou qui pauvant axiger una modification dans la mithoda normaia da filmaga sont indiqute ci-dassous. I I Coloured pages/ Pagea da eoulaur Pages damaged/^ Pagea andommagAas □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurAas at/ou pailiculAas Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages dAcoiortes, tachatAas ou p!quaes □ Pages detached/ Pages dAtachAas Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualiti inAgaia da I'imprassion Includes supplementary matarii Comprend du metAriel supplAmentaira Only edition available/ Seuie idition disponible Th« poa oft film Orii ba{ the aioi oth firs sioi or I [~~3 Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ [~n Includes supplementary material/ I — I Only edition available/ D The aha TIN whi Mai diff( anti bagi righ raqi met Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata aiips. tissues, etc., have been refiimed to ensure the best possible image/ Lea pages totalament ou partialiement obscurcies per un fauiiiat d'arrata. una palure, etc., ont AtA fiimAes A nouveau da fafon A obtanir la maiileure image possible. This item ia filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat filmA §u taux de rAduction indiquA ci-deaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2SX 30X ^ 12X ItX 20X a4x 2SX 32X ■X'-' Vfi' i-*;j The copy filmed h«r« has lM«n reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada L'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grAce A la gAnArositA de: La bibliothAque des Archives publiques du Csnada The images appeering here are the best qusllty / possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with e printed or illustreted impres- sion, end ending on the lest page with e printed or illustrated impression. Les images suivantes ont At* reprodultes avec ie plus grend soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de l'exemplaire flimA, et en conformity evec les conditions du contrat de filmege. Les exemplalres originoux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sent filmAs en commen^ant par Ie premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustratlon, soit par Is second plat, salon Ie ces. Tous les autres exemplalres originaux sent fllmis en commenpant par la premlAre pege qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol "-^ (meening "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboies suivants apparattra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon ie cas: Ie symbols -^ signifle "A SUIVRE", ie symbols ▼ signifle "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed et different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included In one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right end top to bottom, es many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent itre filmAs A des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de geuche A drolte, et de haut en bas, en prenant ie nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants iilustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 8 e |. n <9 SB CO r^ s H i I 1 PETITION. pRoyiiroE OF Canada, > District or Montreal. $ To the Honorable the Members of the House of Assembly of the Province of Canada^ in Parliament assembled. THE PETITION OF THE CENSITAIRES OF THE PARISH OF ST. IGNACE OF COTEAU DU LAO, IN THE COUNTY OF VAUDREUIL, Humbly Shkweth: That this Province would, long since, have been in a flourishing condition if the water-power which it contains had not been locked up under the dominion of the Seigniorial Tenure, while the Seigniors themselves make little or no use of it. That Capitalists would have invested their money here, established manufactures of every kind, founded villages, and spread abroad prosperity. That it becomes more and more urgent that Your Honorable House should take this subject into consideration, and make such change for the improvement of the Country, as may be neither burthensome to its inhabitants, nor unjust to the proprietors of the Seigniories. That in the opinion of Your humble Petitioners, a declaratory Act ought to be passed to define the just rights of the Seigniors, and to fix the reiUes at a reasonable rate. That in the Feudal Tenure a great number of restrictions, charges, honorary and profitable rights and privileges exist, whichought to disappear ; and this is so much the more necessary that several of the Seigniors still maintain them, and turn them to profitable account to the great injury of society. That in the Seigniories of Soulanges and New Longueuil, there is but one saw-mill which belongs to the Seignior, who rarely saws for the inhabitants. Another was put up by the Honorable Peter McGill, and has been the subject of a law-suit with the Seignior, since its erection. That among other things, the following rights ought, in the opinion of Your humble Petitioners, more particularly to receive the attention of Your Honorable House: Tho Drokde Betrait (Right of preemption) ought to be exercised only in case of iVaudulent sales. The privileged claim of all water-power and mill-sites ought to belong to the proprietor of the land on which they exist. The right of Banality ought to be abolished, in order to excite a spirit of enter- prise, and give the inhabitants the advantage of possessing mills of the best kind. The loils et vctUes should not bo levied on improvements. 2 The privileged riirht of hypothec in favor of the Seignior, to the prejudice of the droit (Vancicniiete, appears to your Petitioners one of the most injurious and unjust of laws. That every Deed of Sale or Concession, containing clauses contraiy to justice and reason, ought to be considered as null and void. That the Seigniors ought to he indemnified for the just and reasonable righti which they would be obliged to relinqnish on the passing of a law for the purpose of regenerating the Country, and placing it on a footing of equality with the fl4J*c«nt Countries of Upper Canada and the United States. That such indemnity ought to be paid in part by the relinquishment of the droit du quint by the Government, if it so think fit, or by some thing of a similar nature and by a sum to be paid to the Seignior by all the Cetisitaircs, which ought not to exceed six pence per superficial arpcnt. In short, that a just and liberal indemnity be granted to them, without how- ever compelling the Ceiaitaires to purchase the Seigniories. The Seigniorial Tenure being intrinsically suitable to the inhabitants oi the Country, it would suffice to pur- chase from the proprietors of the Seigniories 'uch privileges as they have made no use of, to the present day, to the great damage of the Country in general. That the Commutation, which ought to be based on the absolute value of the soil, and on the indemnity to be psud to the Seignior, ought to be voluntary on the part of the Censitaire, and the Seignior, having been indemnified, as mentioned in the preceding paragraph, would be entitled to levy Ventes and lods et Rentes from those who should not have commuted. Whereupon your Petitioners pray that Your Honorable House will, in its pre- sent Session, adopt measures to attain the solution of this question, unless you find difficulties which it may be impossible to overcome, and inconsistent with the welfare of the greater number. (Signed,) G. BBAUDET, And 1^3 others. And Your Petitioners will ever pray. St Ignace du Coteau du Lac, lltii September, 1852. We, the undersigned, hereby certify that the signatures here written were volun* farily given to us in furtherance of the above Petition. (Signed,) ALEX. St. AMOUR. ( " ) L. ADAMS. .».ci7/