IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 If las It: 25 1^ 12.2 IC 2.0 1.4 1.8 1.6 6" "/} & a ^i 'a ^> ^'^W' //A Phol ^ Sciaices Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) S72-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notes techniques at bibllographiquas The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in tha reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ D D D D D Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicul^e I 1 Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manqua Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ D Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with otner material/ ReliA svvc d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure ser ree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge intirieure Blank l«lur8, _l 2X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 J- t PETITION SONS AND GRAND CHILDREN OV IHll I^TII JOSEPH BOUCHETTB, IX III!) VVt* TIM! SURVEYOR GENERAL OF LOWER CANADA, HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL, THE SBNATB, AND THE HOU«K OF COMMONS DOMINION OF CANADA IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED. OTTAWA : .Tanitary, 187L ppp mm ■"( I u, <5^^^z, !C^a*^^r-, 9,^,^ .- ^ -^^. ^. ^^U'^^^r-^^n^ ^^^<»^*#t/^^2* It^^^i^t^t^ The Petition of Joseph Bouchette, on his own behalf, and on tlw behalf of others, the Children andGrand- Children of the late Joseph Boucliclfe, in Jus life- time Surveyor General of the Frovihco of Lower Canada, now the Province of Quebec, HUilBLY SHKWETH, X -«' (Hi. riiat the said late Joseph Bouchette, on the faith of a vote of the Lcgmla Journals of tive Assembly of Lower Canada, in General Committee, granting' to the saidi'L^Zof"' Joseph Bouehotte a sum of £1,500, to aid an 1 encourage him in a large public \i ^U \m geographical and topographical undertaking, published in 1815 extensive maps " " ' ^^^z! of the Canadas, and of the other British pjssessions in North America A^-hich cost hnn upwards of £4,000 sterling. That, although it was universally acknowledged that the said Joseph Idem 4th Mar. Bouchette had not only fulfilled his obligation, but exceeded in the execution of i?f/d.nce ot us work, the engagements he had taken loth with the Legislature and the public It'-M^'f. he wa.s actually paid no more than £500 out. of £1,500 so voted, upon which he ^T". 'n had fully relied, esteeming a vote of t!ie whole House in Committee as tanta- »''*^^»'''. "^z! mount to a pledge that he would receive Legislative support to that extent, .^i P^nl •~- •-*' hereto annex That, immediately after the passing of the said vote of the 28d FebiaiaiT 1814, the said Joseph Bouchette, at considerable pains and expense to himself went vigorously to work in the prosecution of his undertaking by travelling through the Province, accumulating further maps an.l documents, and obtaining statistical information through the means of wide spread circulars ; an.l early i^ June following, he sailed for England in His Majesty's ship Ajaa-, with his volu- minous M.S. maps and documents, to place his work in the hands ot British artists for pubhcation. That, after the maps liad been en,graved in England, under the personal supervision of the author, and after the whole work was accomplished and kid before the Legislature and the country, the said Joseph Bouchette humbly md repeatedly petitioned the Legislature to obtain the balance of the said vote of £1,500, representing how dee,,ly the publication had involved liim and Journala Ho. Ass. L. C. 4 Mar., 1817. 16 Jan., 1818. 16 Mar., 1819. 17 Ap'i., 1819. 28 Feb'y 1821. 7 Mar., 1821. 14 Ftb'y 1827. Addresi of the Ho. to thu Duk» of Richmond, G.y. 17 Ap'I./lSm See Appendix. how ruinous h*i3 loese*. would be should the coutepi plated andpledjred Legislative sujiport be withheld from him. That the House of Assembly of Lower Can?Ala never denied the justice and equity ot the said Joseph Bouchette's claim, but on the contrary, i; repeated Reports of Committees and in Addresses to the Executive Governnent of the Province, acknowledged in strong and emphatic terms tliat the claim of the said Joseph Bouchette, to be indemnified for his services and losses, was ju.st and reasonable ; but the House considered that such indemnity and remuneration should b3 given to the said Josaph Bouchette in the shape of a grant of the waste lauds of the Crown, and imauimously recommended him by address to the Government with that view, as may be more fully seen by a reference to tlie Journals of the House of Assembly of Lower Canarla. Mess 70 of the Earl of Dalhouaie, G.G. 28 Feb., 1821. See Appendix. dix. That, on the other hand, the Executive Government of the Province was equally ready to admit the justice and reasonableness of the .said Joseph Bouehette's claim; but merely differed with the House as to the mode of meeting that claim, deeming a vote of money a more proper form of indenuiity than a giant of land. That at the demise of the said Joseph Bouchette, in IS H, after having devote.l neaily tlfty years of his life in the Naval, Military and Civil branches of the public service under the Crown in Canada, the above claim remained yet unsettled, although pending tor more than twenty-five years, and fully acknow- ledged by two branches of the Provincial Legislature. That the said late Joseph Bouchette, in consequence of the loss.^s sustained by him in the publication of the large and important geographical works with which he has endowed his native country, died involved, having sacrificed, for tlie Vide /PF». production of such works (the high character and usefulness of which are to this day universally admitted), large estates, that would amply have provided for his widow and family after his death. That your Petitioners, believing that the Legislature of the Province of Quebec, heretofore the Province of Lower Canada, was the proper and specific tribunal before which the] present claim should be brought, appealed to the Government and Legislature of that Province during its recent Session, praying by their humble petition that the unsettled claim of the late Joseph Bouchette as above stated, should be taken into their favorable consideration, and that your Petitioners, as the children and grand-children, representing their late father, Joseph Bouchette, would be allowed the benefit of that claim, the irrefragable justice, and reasonableness of which had been, as aforesaid, solemnly recognized Ind admitted both by the Executive Government and by the House of Assembly of Lower Canada, and that they would in their wisdom and justice award and confkm to your Petitioners the grant of the said sum of £1 000, claimed by the said late Joseph Bouchette, in his lifetime, for hi.s public services and losses, and as for work and labor, care and diligence bestowed, and for money paid, laid out, and expended in and about the compilatioi:, comple- tion and publication of the geographical and topographical maps, aijd topogra- phical deacription of Canada in 1815, under the circumstaaces and in the manner Vide Appen^ set forth in and by Journals of the House of Assembly of Lower Canada, and that '""' they would further graciously award an deferred payment, as may comport with the principles of right and cquitv And, as in duty bound, your Petitione y / W ^ y ^ Ottawa, nami A IM> E N D I X I Ihe Journal of the Legislative Assemhli/ of Lower CcnaJa, in reference to •.i/ns ofttutlnte Juaejih Buchelte, Surveyor General, for indemnify, as set forth i* • rt I • • • . . E^ recti from the da in the foregoing Pefitiori House of Assembly. Wednesday, 23rd February, 18U. •'Is Committee of the Whole Hoise, on the Beport of the Rpecinl Committee, " to wh-':h was referred tlie Petition of Joseph Bouclielte, Surveyor General : " Mk DDNiitiiAU called to the chair. " On motion of Mr. Taschercau, seconded by Mr. Lee, " Resolved that is is the opinion of the Committee, that a sum of Jijle'n hundred "pitnula Currency bo employed under the direction of Commissioners, to encourage and "aid Joseph Bouchette, Esquire, to publish the Topographical and Geographical Map* " of the Pi'ovinee." From th'i Report of the Special Committee of the ith March, IS 17. ■■Your Committee observe, that Mr. Bonchette executed these maps luvlcr the •'in!rona(jeoft>io Provincial Lcjidu tare, and ihut ho has thereupon sustained a loss,,©!'^ " £1,701 18s 2d., and is therefore of oiiinion that it is just to reimViurse him a part of " his loss, and that it]isevon expedient to do so for the encouragement of the'Arts, and of " the persons who may ai)[p]y themsflves (hereto in the rrovince."j From the Rtport of ihe Committee of the 16th January, ISIS. " That these maps have been seized by the persons who assisted him in the publication. "Till' pecuniary means of the petitio"er being inadequate to the advances necessary to " the undertaking, he relied nnicli on tho liberality of the Legislature, thi- I'onae having " in a Committee of the Whole, so enrhj as the i.'^th February, ISl.'f, resolved thai heshouldbe " aided with the sma of £1,500, to enrovraje the pnhlication. Report of the Special Committee, loth March, ISIO. I " Yoiu- Committee have attentively e.vr.niincd the allegations of the said Petition, and " find them generally sup])orted by the evidence on the Journals, of the House and tho " e.\:imination of the witne.s.ses reported by Special Committees on the4th 51 arch, 1817, and "Ifith January, -4818. ' _ t " Your Committee is of ojiinion that although the Resolution of Ihe Committee of the " Whole House, of the 13rd February, ISL',, was not acted upon during that Session, " nhiih terviinatcd on the 17 th March following ; yet the said resolution may have induced " Mr. UouchMe to expect assistance from the Legislature to that amount, fur the publication " of' his maps ami contributed to his proceedimj jiersonally to England in the ensuing " summer, for tho purpose of superintending a work honored with snch distinguished "patronage. " Notwithstanding the grant of £500 whicli was made to Mr. Pouchette, during ♦ j "ensuing Session of the Ass<'mbly — j-our Committee find, liy the aforementioned evidence, " that he has actually been a loser by the publication of his majis and Topographical " acc(unt of Canada; your Committee, liowevcr, will not take upon itself to pronounce " that any further pecuniary comj)ensation ought to be made to Mr. Bouchette out of the " public money; it is, liowever, of opinion that it would V)o an act of justice to that "gentleman, now that a work which the Legislature has unequivocally patronised is " comi)leted, should that work be found worthy of such pati-onage, to aflbrd tho author " gon.e public mark of approbation." " Mr. Bonchette has submitted to your Committee, original documents, of which tho " pa])*rs annexed, A. 1 to G inclusive, are true copies. Tliese documents, in tho opinion " of your Committee, show that tho maps and Topographical account of Canada have I nee to forth (littee, ndred and Map* "he*:n jiulgoJ favorably of by some of the nnst distingiiuhed and moat competent " authorities in Great ]}iit,,iin, and in this point of view they must have contributed to " establish abroad a favorable opinion of the talents of the natives of Caniula, while thei/ " also diaseminnte in the mother country additional information on the resources and " importarif.e of the Colon;/.'' " Your Committee is of opinion, considering the premises, the situation of Mr. " Bonchotto as Hui'veyor G>!n()ral, and the probable advantiiji;c8 ■v-hich jnust ro:;ult t ) th« *' Crown, as well as to tho Province, from the attention which Mr. Bouchctte's work, will " naturally draw to tlio va-it extent of waste laiida therein, that it would be expedient to " address His Grace tho Governor in Chief, prayin<{ that he would be pleasridto rocommend " Mr. Bouchot^e for a grant of the v ite lands of tlio Crown. On the 7 th April, J810, in Comn.i'loe of the Whole Home it was " RKSot.vi:D~Tl.at an humble address be presented to His Grace the Governor in "Chief, rp|)resentiiig the importance of the Geographical and Topogrii])hical Afaps of " Joseph Houchette, Rsipiire, Surveyor General, and of the losses lie has suscained in "publLshiug tliem, reju-esontins,' also f' )art of and of cation, iary to having ould he •11, and nd tho 1 7, and i 3 of the ■i'easion, nduced 'ication ■n suing ;uished ing ♦ J idence, aphical n ounce t of the to that lised is author icli the opinion Ifi have Mesnajefrom the Governor in Chief ^Sth lebrixirj, IS.'!. ^ "Dai.iiousie, Govurxoh." "The Governor in Chief call.? the att.^ntiou of the House of Assembly to tho " iinjiorlance of tho Geographical and Topographical Maps, made by Josejih Bouchette, " Esquire, Surveyor General, who states to have sustained a considerable loss in publishins; " them. "The Governor in Chief is of opinion that Jfr. Bouchctte's claim i'l yist and " reasonable, but does not ajiprove of remunerating him by a grant of land as was propos- \ "by the address of the As.sombly of the 17th April, 1819. The Governor in Chief " therefore trusts tie J/ouse of Assembly trill enable him to meet that claim. Castle of St. Louis, ^ D. Quebec, 2Sth February, 1821. j G. lieport of the Committee to v;hich the forego! iij message v:ua referred, 'tth March, IS.'l. " Your fJommittee, after full consideration of the matters referred, are of opinion on "the former, that Joseph Bouchette, E.squire, Surveyor General, hath made and published "Geographical Maps of the Province, which arc of (;»;wta)i< v.tilily to His Majesty s " Government, and to the Provinje, and that in the publication of those maps he hath " incurred and sustained considerable losses, and taking into consideration tlio " recommendation made by the House of Assemldy of the Province to His Grace tlie Duko " of Bichmond, Governor in Chief, in 1819, and the sentiments exjiressed at th« time by " tho House, relative to tho services and losses of tlie said Josejih Bouchette, your ' Committee are of ojiinion that there ought to be granted unto him a sum of ^1,000, as " well as indemnify him for the lo.sses ho liith : ii.staiuf'd in the publication of his iiiiip'i, " r.s to encourage talent and useful undertaking i.i this Province." - ITorsE OF AssKJini.v, February Uth, 1827. " Mr. liaterrlere, from tho Special Committee, to whom were referred tho Entries in ' the Journals of the House, relating to Jose])h Bouchette, Esquiie, Surveyor General, ' reported that the Committee had come to an opinion thereon, which ho was directed to ' submit to the House whenever it shall be pleased to receive tlio same ; and he read tho • Ifeport in his place, and afterwards delivered it in at the Clerk's Table, where it was • again read, as followeth : — " Your Committee having examined the several Beports of the Siiecial Committ«cs • to v/hom Mr. Bouchette's petition was referred, and the several proceedings thereupon, ' and having also examined several witnesses, the minutes of whose evidence are hereunto ■ subjoined, have agreed to make the following report ; — " It appears to your Committee that the said Joseph Bouchette, Esquire Surveyor ■ General, of Lower Canada, lias made and published Geographical A'^aps of tlie Pr^viiu-e, ^ #//^ / / mm 6 " which are of important utility to Hia JJajesty's Govcmmont, and to t)io Piovincen at " Tliat in the iiublication of thoao ^[a\>a he huH inciirrod con»iJorable eximnsM, nud " sust lined gi-oat losses, and niipliod much lalmr, iniinstry and skill. '■ Your Comnuttee, taking into cdnsideralion t!io circiinistancos undtT whifli tliis " uiid'rtakin}; wns conimeneed, tlio in<»nnor in which it was o(impli'tt'(l, and the " recommondiition niaoo l>y tlio llouso to His Giaoo the Duke of Iticlimond, Governor in '• Cliet of this Province, on the Hovoutoenth April, one thousand ciylit hundrcil and " ninoto-n, that llin P^'itiou m- should ho indemintind f )r his scrvici -i and h-sses; Uking " a'so into' cansidnr.ition th" Message of His KxcfUency thn Kurl of Dalhoiisie, of tho '• twenty-oijrhtli of Fohriiiu-v, one thousand ei^ht ]iun-qiii!e, npptaiv follows : — ore vour ConiuutteL', and sUitwl a.^ In the Session ot One thotisand ci^dit hunilicJ and tiftcon, J wc, a Jl( inLor of tho House of As,-jeinUy, I happened lo be (..'hairman of the Coniniitteo of tho Whole House on Mr. Bouchette'.s Petition for a grant of money in aid of Ids enter- prise of pu])li:5hing a General Map of Lower Canada. The sum granted, an wiU ajipcar by tlic Statute, was Five hundred pound.s, i^-hich It vxis gcwm-uUij uiv:-y- $tood h>j the Mmnhere inxsent, vas hi jKui payment of the Fifteen hundred pounds voted in One thovsnnd eight handrcd and fourteen. When the Five hundfed pounds were voted, the *vork wa.s then going on, and the balance of Om thoumnd jwunds, ii vMfs uiderstood, una to be paid when the v:ork nhoald be completed. I perfectly rcc<- iloct tliat the then Spi'aker, tlio Honorable 1. A. I'anet, cr.me up to mo as I was 1 ;aving the chair of the Conimittee, and as ho was pro- ceeding to resume that oi" tho House, said to iO :- - •• C'est I.O'i, on doune ii M. Boucliette h s cinij cents luui.'^, ct s'il ivii.-,'.it, on lui " doiineni les mille autres loui.s, car I'oiivnige .sera hi"n inter'ssant pom le pay.-.." TnoM.vs Lf.E, Esquire, then appoar.Ml before the Committee, and was cxanunod, as follows : — {). Have you any knowledge of the circumstances which led to and accoin- jianicd the application of Mr. Boucliette, Surviyoi--General of tho Province, to tho Hou.se of As.=embly, for a sum of money to aid him in the publication of hi.? General Maj) of the Province ? A. I wa.3 in thi year One thousand eight hundred and thirteen, a Member of the House of Assembly for tho County of Northumberland, and continued fo till One thousand eight hundred and sixteen. I -ecollcct that in the Session ©f Onethoasanl eght hundred and fourteen, the subject of a General Plan of T the Province canio under discussion in a Commi^teo wlieroof Air. I'ipiiieau, Mr. Tashercau, and myself weie meiuljcrs. We i-roj'oaed to mad j'of Mr, Bouchetle, Survemr-Gemral of the Province, aa the fittest peraun to giir, coi'reot information on the au^ject. Mr. Papineaii, in the course of tlio ooiiVi^rsatioD, hearing, as wel! as Mr. Tashercau, that Mr. Bouchette had aciuiilly madf. -. Map of the Oily of Quebec, richibited to us, asked Mr. Bouc':' Ite if it wa.s pcssible to make a Map of the Whulo I'rovinco upon a vedu ' i .scale. Mr. Bouchette answered, that i? the nn ans were allurdeil him it could uaaily done, and tliat ho ovl'U would ext.Mid that vork to mujli advantage. That he was in po,s«ession of many plana, of which he had made a collection fir several, yeai-s i)ast. Upon thi.s, Messieurs Pai)ineau aiu' Tashercau and I iiiquiied into tlio probai/le expense of .such an uiid(!rtakinj,'. It wnn tlio) ud:ed if Mr. Biiuchette if One tliousand fine hand red iioundi imidd defvnj the erpenNC ; to tvhieh J/n Bouchette said, if the Lerjldntura granted him One thoumnd five hundred i>oundfs he would readily undertake the icoik. The subsequeiit pro- ceedings on tids su'hjeet will bo found in the Journals of the House. (^ Have you any knowledge that Mr. Bouchette, after the passing of the resolution of One thousand eight hundred and fourteen, travellei) through the Pnnince with a view of obtaining more con-cci; information of its topo;,'Taphy '? J. I liave a kuowlodgo that ho gara himself a great deal of trouble iu vi.^iting the dilferent part,, of the country, for the purpose of obtaining infor- mation to bo employed iu rendering his map;; more aecurate, and enable him to give the topographical account of the Provineo of Lower Canala, which he afcer- wards gave with his work. i t Q. Did you understand that his topographical work was to fortn any '>art of the consideration for wliieh the Om t!iou.-,and tivo hundred pounds were allowed ? -1. It was understood ihat an explanatory pamphlet or memoir was to accompany the Map ; inafead of ivhick Mr. Bouchdte. (jave the topographical hitdorical work which is now before the puhlio. Q. Did Mr Bouchette fultil the above engageuieut wliieh he had entered \ into .1. He did more than in strictne.-y Mr. De St. Ouus, Ordered, Tliat the said Report be referred to a Committee of the Whole House. Resolved, Tliat this House will, ujion Monday next, resolve itself into a Committor of tlie AVliok' linu.se on t!ie said Report. 1 / / PROYIxVCIAL PARLIAMENT OF LOWER CANADA, Febru.arv 19, 1827. IIoiSF. OF AssEMiiLY— Deh.\ti:s-C'oi.o.\el l!oi(Jiri-n:'s Cask. Speech of AnJnw Sluai-l, Esq., on in/roditclnj the iw '((Sure JFi- V Btuart, tlip mover of tlio luoasiire, said lie wouKl not trcKjiass iU any U'list'" upon the time of the House, In.t confine liimsulf to a simple statement of the qurstion, which would suQice to estahli.h tho justioe of the claim subnutted to this lluuso l.y :\Ir iio.ichelte. It was not a favor whiedi he expect, d at the hands of the House, but an act of mere iustice. In 1S13, the want of Mtqis of the country was much felt ; the llouso took up the question, and it was resolved, that it was expedient to vote a sum of .LloO ) for that object, m view of the magnitude and importance of the enterprise, which assuredly was one bevond tho resources of a single indivhlual. .ilus is what liad been done under similar circumstances, by our neighbors in the i;nited States, when dm several Legislatures had lai-elv cncourased the publication of similar ]\Iaps. In It^H, Mr Bouchette oilers to the Hou.sp, bv IVtition, to take charge of such an undertaking, ami represents that to accomplish it, a sum of .£1,.^_.00 was necessary ; it was thereupon resclvcd to vote in (Jcneral Committee, in accordance with the j-ccommendation made by a Siiccial Committee, of ^vhich two of tho Hon, ^ ,^.ers imw present, were inembei-s— the sum of ei,oO() pounds. This n-as a fonixd (jrcit, and it wa" in iiirtherRiice and under the sanction of this grant that IMr. Bouchctt.' went to England whore he rcmainod durnig two Toars closely cii''a"eil in the achievement of his arduous ta^k. tho comidetion ot his Map' of tiie Country. "^ Tho House had granted by Hill the sum of .thW. It was i. laudable prudence, cm the part of the House, to have graiiod iii this way but a jiart ot the sum voted, and to await the completion of tho work for the imyment ot the lialanc*. It was not therefore until tho work was completed, (hat :\Ir. Bouchette liad pivsouted Ins claim for tho bahuice of a sum wliich he did not ask at cur hands as a chanty, but as a thing due in honour after the pledge given by the House in tho Itesolution adopted by it in General Committee. The llouso liad never pronounced itself against tlie chuiii. A! the Committees, on the contrarv, to which the matter had been refoirod. had all concurred in urgiii" the House to accede to Jlr. Bouchettc's aiiplication. Tlie (piestiou was unfortunately always brought up towards the close of the Session, the n.ultiphcity of ntrairr, had not permitted the House to take it wy, and come to a definite conclusion on the 1 / mibject, iUi.l tlio h!c;i>.uiu had been lost for want of U^i^Z.t- '/■*fZt.'^'>ir. -^ a^ e.^7-7^c^/^/^<^^Jt^ /Si^****<