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This item is filmed at the raduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X y l^X 16X - Gokkib. W. GoEDON Mack. J. H. Isaacson. H. E. MONTGOMEEIE. e^rccutibe €ammitttt* J. G. Sims, J. G. Mackenzie, John Ore, James Mathewsow, AeCH. MACBAELAN3, WiLLIAM SriEE, John Jones, John Smith. JOHXi ESDAILB, ADDRESS TO THE INHABITANTS OF CANADA. <^^mw^^^>JW^ww ^ '^ H N, FfiLLOW COUNTRTMEW : — It has been deemed by those who now address you, that the present is a fitting time to ascertain public opinion upon many important subjects, intimately con- nected with the social, commercial, and political welfare of the inhabitants of this Province. These subjects are neither of transient interest nor of mere local importance. They relate to the very existence of the Colony itself ; they concern the character of the nation to which we belong ; and, as they are viewed and acted upon by the men of the present day, will affect the happinoas and the fate of their posterity. That commerciul distress and general depression in every department of in- dustry, exist throughout the Province, to an extent unparalleled in the previous existence of the Colony, is admitted by all men of unbiassed judgment and adequate opportunities of observation, by commercial men of the greatest experience, and political economists of every shade of opinion ; who, while 'hey all bear concurrent testimony to the truth of this statement, as a fact of which all alike must feel the mouruful weight, differ nevertheless, to some extent, from each other, as to the immediate causes from which this result has flowed, and the prospective measures OTost likely to afford relief. It is neither necessary nor proper for us at this time to pronou . a an cjiintou upon causes, with respect to which many intelligent and experienced minds are In conflict with each other, or upon remedies requiring more genera! »• oa„urrenco and authf rity, than of necessity belong to the limited sphere of duty now allotted to us. The discussion of these subjects will properly belong to the people of Canada. The duty of the Association which now addresses you, is of a preliminary nature merely. It is for us to point out the exigency of the time ; for you to consider the causes from which that exigency has arisen, and to suggest the remedies best cal- culated to obtain relief. To anticipate public opinion upon matters of such deep and general interest, would be presumptuous and unwarrantable ; to invite it, wo hold to ba no less our duty than our right. Many thoughtful and honest minds bave been, latterly, applied to the consideration of the state of this Province. — They are the minds of men interested in its welfare, to the extent of all they possess in the world, or hope to transmit to their children ; of men belonging to the most widely distributed race on the face of the globe, and speaking the prevailing lan- guage of this continent and of the Empire ; who desire the prosperity of Canada, and with it the prosperity of the nation of which it forms a part ; children of a monarchy, too magnanimous to proscribe, too great to be unjust ; inhabitants of a Province ceded to England at the termination of a long and glorious struggle, aspiring to a career of virtuous emulation with the other dependencies of the Crown, and determined to be unchecked by the narrow jealousy of a peculiar inter- nal and exclusive nationality, which, though entitled to perfect equality with the raco of the Empire, is deserving of no predominance as a lUstinct uource uf political {)ower. At a meeting of gentlemen, impressed with the Importance of ascertaining public opinion upon the general interests ot the Province, at this momentous crisis in its history, it has been considered necessary otily to invito your attention to the general reasons of the present n ,vement; to assume no right of suggesting remedial measures; to arrogate no power of binding you by our opinions; but, leaving to yourselves the discussion of causes, and the adoption of means of relief, to shew merely the necessity of present action, and recommend what appear to us to be the best means of promoting regular enquiry, and obtaining ultimate redress. Besides the commercial and industrial depression now weighing upon our com- munity, evils of a social and political character exisl, among us to an extent un- known in any other portion of the British dominions. Without descending to enumerate subjects which arc confined to the narrow arena of party strife, it is sufficiently evident that our political system requires modification and improvement. The diversity of national origin, in itself so potent an impediment to progress; its bearing and influence upon the general interests of the Colony, by the mere expe- dient of junction, apart from principle; — the system of representation; the tenure of lands in th'j Lower Province; the composition of the Legislative Council, and many other topics of far too great importance to be approached without caution, or touched without dispassionate enquiry by the people at large; all point to the ne- cessity of concentrating and asserting Public Opinion upon such matters. And if these, and other weighty topics, partaking, as they do more or less, of a local char- acter merely, were insufficient to arouse the public mind and awaken the public voice of Canada, there still remains one subject which is not limited in its influence to the local boundaries of the Province, which affects the honor of tlie British Crown, and the character of the British nation, and which, at this very hour, bows down the heads of the desponding, and cheers the narrow hearts of the disaffected, by the possibility of impending punishment for the duty of allegian'-e. It is evident, from the known character of our race, that patient submission to any ascendancy founded on feelings of nationality alone, and not actuated by any. generous or progressive principle, never has been, and never will be, for any length of time endured by Britons. It is equally apparent that whatever may be the energy or determination of the Anglo-Saxon race inhabiting this Colony, it has hitherto been diluted and weakened by the absence of all systematic combination, and by the wasteful expenditurp, in unavailing individual efforts, of time and ialents, which, if concentrated and applied in a proper manner, would be fitted to attain the noblest ends. The means, therefore, which we would respectfully suggest of subjecting the grievances of the people to regular discussion and ultimate redress, are simple, natural, and obvious. They are the mean.s by which, in other countries, all that is great, enduring, and admirable, has been attained; before which, evils, the most de«p rooted, and abuses the most powerful, have invariably yielded; and without :cQ ut' pulitiual rtaining public- >us crisis in its to the general sting remedial but, leaving to relief, to shew to us to be the ress. upon our cora- aa extent aD« to the narrow ystem requires :o progress; its the mere expe- ion; the tenure 'e Council, and out caution, or )int to the ne- I tiers, Aiul if >f a local char- ,ken the public in its inHucnct^ of tlie British ery hour, bows the disaffected, e. . submission to ctiiated by any for any length er may be the Colony, it has ic combination, ime and 'alents, ed to attain the subjecting the ess, are simple, tries, all that is evils, the most d; and without whose agency it is perhaps not too much to assert that no fv.llt .j ohjo ;L of dignitv or importance can, in the present day, be reached. These means, so vast in attainment, so powerful in agency, and yot so simple in contrivance, are expressible in a single word: and that word i>— f)ti«»AMZAiioJT. Under the strongest conviction of the necessity of such a step, un Association has been formed In this City, of a provisional and preliminary character, under the name of the British American Leaquk, Under the view which has been taken of its duties, by those already enrolled as members of this Association, we exhort the inhabitants of this Province, in its different localities, to the formation of Societies, for the purpose of promoting discussion of the great questions now agitating the Province. We recommend the election of Delegates by each Society, to attend a Convention »t such time and place as shall be, by a majority of such Societies, determined on. That Societies numbering 100 members and upwards shall be entitled to elect one Delegate ; .300 und upwards, two Delegates ; GOO and upwards, three Delegates ; and 1000 and upwards, four Delegates. That at such Convention a General Association shall be formed, and called by such name as may then be determined upon. That such General Association shall consist of the Societies then formed, and those which may be formed thereafter. That the Societies so united shall be divided into a Central and Assistant Socie- ties, in correspondence with it at the various places where they may be formed. That it shall be the duty of sucii Convention, by a majority of its members, to decide upon and publish a declaration of their opinions upon the commercial and political questions of the day, and it shall be the duty of such Societies, both Cen- tra/ and Assistant, to aid in carrying out the views of the Convention, by all practi- cable and lawful means. Upon this general busis, allowing of course for modification of detail, it is hoped that something like unity of action may be attained by the inhabitants of this Pro- vince, upon matters affecting not only their most material and immediate interests, but also the interests and the honour of the great nation with which we are con- nected. To maintain that connection inviolate, has ever been, and still is, the ardent wish of every member of the League. We devoutly hope that no measure of injustice may ever bein-^licted— no power may ever be abused— to the extent of provoking reflecting men to the contemplation of an alliance with a foreign power ; and if there be, as some have said, a time when all colonies must, in the course of human events, throw off their dependence on the Parent State, and if in our generation that time should be destiuGd to arrive, we predict that, if true to ourselves, it will not come until no British hands remain able to hoist the flag of England on the rock of Quebec, and no Bi.tish voices survive able to shout, '• God save the Queen !" G. MOFFATT, President. W. GORDON MACK, Corresponding Secretary. JOHN IIELDER ISAACSON, Recording Secretary. RULES AND REGULATIONS «r ov THE BRITISH AMERICAN LEAGUE. ^..rw^W ^^#M**<^y^**' ntxB I, The n.,no of thU Wiatio,. .h.U be. pro.Uonall,. "T» »«■.»» A""OA. League." KCtE tl* The obj«,.f .he Lcguc shall b. ih. mai„«„a„co ...d pro„,o,io». by .Hc^s,.- ,„,lo„al mean., of the general interest, of the lV.v,nee. RULE ur. . • »T,n «omstoi- an^l paying tha annual subscriptiou of 2 . 6(1., Any person signing tho llogistei, ana pu^n b shall be a member of the League. RULE IV. RULE V. nULE VI. Sped.. Meetmgsof the Lea,ne ahall he h^.l >^--;---;:::J ^^-^LlSHi ^ .; nrul he shall be bound to issue such suiu.ao.,s, on me wi if ':; tUC or 1,-e .embers, stating the special business .n ,nes.,oo. RCLE VII. any of the meetings of the League. •^ RULE VIII. Secretary and a Treasurer. RULE IX. These Officers, together with nine other members to be ehosen a. .he same time. Ju consUtute the Executive Committe. of the League. L) N8 TIE. : Ambmcaw V alt conati- m of 2 '. Oct., 1 such pltio**. appoint. ind the traiis- .ugust. by tbe Presi- applicution of th a ticket of bo admitted to id shall consist ,r, a Recording BULB X. 'n»o Prcuidont bhall prosido at the moctlngs of iho Lt-aguo, or (jf the Kxeculivo Cumii-'ttce, and preserve order thorom \ in either case he sh ill only he cnlitlud t«» a casting voto. nVLE XI. The Senior Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the Prosidont* during; iho absence or illness of thai Officer, BULB XII. The Corrosponding Secretary shall, under the supcrintendonco of the Executive Committee, conduct the correspondence of the League, of which ho shall keep o record. RULB XIIL Tho Recording Secretary shall keep an acciirato record of the transactions of tho League, and of tho £xco ttivc Committee. ' e funds of tho League; ho shall >iDtersignt'd by tho Recording ^couat of the financial cou- iir. The Treasurer shal' receive and talf pay ull drafts drawn on him by the Pi Secretary, and none other; and shall K cerns of the League. nULE XV. The Executive Committee ahull hai'e full power to superintend tho correspoj- dence of the League, to tippropriate its funds, and generally to conduct the affairs thereof, in accordance with these Rules. RULE XVI. The Executive Committee shall meet weekly, on such avenings and under such regulations as they may from lime to time prescribe, and shall also meet at other times when specially summoned by the President; at all Meetings of the Executive Committee seven sliall form a quorum. RULE xvh. On the occurrence of any vacancy in tho Executive Committee, the same shall be filled at the next Monthly Meeting of tho League, by the election of a member to serve until the next Annual Election. nULE xvni, No alteration shall be made in these Rules unless at a General Meeting of the League, after notice of Ihe intended motion at tho General Meeting immediately preceding; nor sha" such alteration bo considered as carried, unless assented to by at least two thirds of the members present. the same time,