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LOWER-CANADA, ^. iHsii ■<: ^^^■':K:r-y:,,.- i BIBLIOTHEQVE &^ mummm •i-' Parliamentary Register Of LOWER-CANADA, FOR THE YEAR 1818. CONTAINING THE DEBATES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. nnH • >fi an I 1 1 ; VOLUME I. (NUMB. 2.) ' « - • • • * • ■ —.— ■'■■ H^ij 'u-f Re^ QUEBEC : TRINTBD BY JOHN IfEILSON, 3, MOUNTAIN STREET, 1818. i ( t • WJ ■'^i i' 4 • . " P feECC HlSExti Goverr non thii day, G^ntlttm Gtntft When 1 mi hn Sewior., i trcMCt which were at thai Harvrat. It now the plea leen able to | the Legislatu f' the Harveat. It i» therefore with peculiar latisfaction that 1 nave now the plearare of «rating (from the best information I have ieen able to procurr) that the liberal provision then made by the Legislature, not only for the immfdiite relief of the suf- ferers.but also for furnishing the husbtlidnitn with Seed ''Vheat and other Grain, necessary for the ensuing season, has, by the blessing of Divine I'roviJence, been attended with the happiest eonsequences, and there is every reason to hope that the pro- duce of the late Harvest will prove more than tufficient for the consumption of the present year. Thia assurance of the important aervicec you have thus ren- deied to a great number of youf fellow aubjccts, will, I doubt not, be at gratifying to you, aa it U satisfactory to me. Although some parts of the Internal Communications, for which such liberal provision wa« made during the last Session, have been carried on much to my satisfaction, there are others, I am sorry to say, that are still in a very different state, in con- lequence of the difficulties and delays which occurred in many parts of the Province, on the first attempting to carry the Act into execution. These impediments will, I trust, however, be rormounteil, and as only one half of the sum voted could be expended during the last Summer, 1 am willing to hope that the whole of the Plans which have been approved, will be exe- eirted during the approaching season. With respect to the Agriculture of the Province, (thotjgh Mill very defective) 1 have reason to believe it to be in an im- proving state, and 1 feel assured that you will afford every en- couragement to itt further advancement. Should the emigration from Europe continue, it might be a matter worthy of consideration, bow fat it would be advi»eable to hold out gome inducement to a few good farmers or labourers to settle in this Provinte. If persons of this description were jjudiciouoly selecte'^ and located, their example would be useful in introducing an improved system of agriculture in this coun- try. I have received the commands of His Royal Highnes* the PridceRegtBt, to call upon the ProTincial Lvgislaiure to vote the siiMi netessiry for the ordihary annjal expenditure nf the Province. These commands will, I am persuaded, receive frnm yoH that weighty consideration, which their niportance d«. serves. OentteMM <^ ihl ttouie bf AuenM;/\ In pursuance of these directions, Vrhich 1 hnvu received ^rom hit Majesty's Government, I shall onler tn be kid before you, an es- timate of the turns which will be retjulred to defray the expncesof the Civil Government of the Province during the year 1818, and I desire you in his Majesty's name to pru';idc in a conititutiooil manner, the auppliei which will b^ necessary fur this purpose. — t shall also order to be hid before you ti.e Accounts of the Public Revenue and expeniiiture for the loiit twelve months, by Which you will be enabled to lAertaiu the means of supply that are at your disposal; and I anticipate with confidence a continuance of that loyalty and zeal for His Majesty's service on your part which I have hitherto experienced, and a ready e;tecution of the offer wbiclt you made on a former occasion to defray the expencea of Hit Majecty't Provincial (government, with a liberality that did yo» houDUr. Gentienten of the Legiilative Council, Gentlemen of Ike House ^ Jttennbly^ The amount Which has been ascertained to be due frohi thit Province to Upper-Canada, for the proportion of Duties upon Goods, &c. which have passed through the I^ower Province into the Upper, has been paid over to the personi autliorited on the part of Upper-Canada to receive it. The Report of the Commissionert appointed by an Act of thIi last Session, to treat with those of Up|ier-Canadaforthe formatini) of a new pvovisinnal agreement between the Provinces, will be laid before you in conformity to the prot'isiont Of that Act, previous to its being carried into execution. In calling you together to deliberate oh tht measures best ad pl- ed to advance the interests of the (leople whom you represent, t eel assured that those deliberations will lie guided Uj' tlie same principles of loyalty, and the same dispositions of niutiial conf^enca and good will, which you evinced in your last Session) and tvhile un my p.-irt I shall be anxious to give my ready assistance to every measure which shall have for its object the good of the Proyineei, I cannot doubt that with such feelings on all sides, the resiilt of this Session will be at once honorable to you and Useful to your Country. Mem. The Honorable Mr. De Salaherry and WilKam Burm took their Seats this day in the Lc}jti,lativ« Council, pursuant te His Maji'sty's MandaniMi, . 1' I i , ''T'.iT*' iS 144903 \ S] PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. 1818.— Jddress ITouse of Assembfj/ to Govr. in Chkf. [♦ w SATUnOAY, 10th JANUARY, 1818. Thin day the .Speiker. iMtvnded by th* Muraben of tha IIuum of Awembly, wont ui) to the Cast o rt of iHe Commif sioners appointed by virtue of an Act passed in the last Settion, to treat with these of Upper Canada, for the formation of a new Provisional Agreement between the Provinces, which will be laid before us in conformity with the ProvisioDt of that Act, previous to its being carried into excution. In calling us together to deliberate on the measures best adapted to advance the mterest of the pei.,>le whom we repre- sent, Your Excellency may feel assured, that we shall ever guide our deliberations by the tame principlet of loyalty, and the »ame dispositiontof mutual confidence which wc evinced in our last Session, and which Your Excellency in your Speech it pleased to acknowledge. We feel secure of the continuance of your dispositioR to give us assistance in lendering effectual every measure which shall have for its object the good of this Province; having already derived from those dispositions such happy reiults under Your Excellency's paternal administration. Under tuch auspices we have to augur consequences most bene- ficial to our Country, observing every measure of Your Excel- lency to be governed by the principlet of equity, and by those of a Constitution and a Government which are founded on the base of the public welfare. To which Address His Excellency was pleaiwt to returq th9 following Answer ; Gentlemen of the House qf AasemMy, Accept my best thanks for this Address ; the desire you therein express to provide in u constitutional manner the supplies required for the year 1818 ; and yourassurance of taking into consideration the other objeits to which I have colled your attention demami my acknowledgments. And I t'cel uuntldent that you will discharge the very important duties vou are called upon to perform, in such a manner as can- not foil to gratify my -wishes, and conduce to the welfare of the Province, Addres) tf the Legislative CouncU to the Governor in Chiff^ This day the honorable the LegitlativeCouncil went up to the Castle of St. Lewis, and presented the following Addreti in answer to Hit Excellency 'i Speech at the opening of the preMot Sessisn. To His Excellency Sir John CoAFE SIIERBROOK.K, Knight Grand Crott of the Most Honorable Military Order uf the Bath, Captain General and Governor in Chief, in and over the Provinces of Lower Canada, Upper Canada, Nova-Scotia, New-Brunswick, and their several Dependencies, Vice Admiral of the tame. Lieutenant General and Commander of all Hit Majeity'i Forces in the said Provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada, Nuvu Scotia, New Brunswick, and their several dependencies, and in the islands of Newfoundland, Prince Edward, Cape Breton and Bermudit, &c. &c. &c. Ma? it please Your Excellency, We, His Majesty's dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Legislative Council of Lower Canada, in Provincial Parliament asiwmbled, beg leave to return Yorr Excellency our bumble thanks for your Speech from the Throne, We participate most sincerely with Your 1' icellency in the satisfaction anting from a knowledge, that the liberal provision which was made in the last Session for the relief of the dis- tressed Parisiiea iii this Diaiiici, has, by the blessing of Divine Providence, been acteiul«U with the happtett contequencet ; ro WHICH HIS Elative to duties MillvU>l.\! in Chit f. [4 tion to the Public iiunlhv ■■> order upply which tr* eiaing )our confi« 'a (ervice, and ia leprcient Seuion, dc heretofore im> , of defraying the j'lvernment. mouQt which hai lo Upper Canada, e conveyed hiih«r ' to the peraoDt sceive it, Excellency hai a : ef ike Commit* n the lait SeMioo, 9 formation uf a incei, which will tioDgof that Act, ^c meaaurei beat whom we repre- it we ahjjl ever ea of loyalty, and ich wc evinced in n your Speech it )e continuance of nderlng effectual the good of thii diapoaitiona auch tl adminiitration. lencei moat bene- e of Your Eicel- ity, and by thote E founded on the ii«d to retitfi) tl)f desire ^ou therein ; supplies required nto consideration ittention demami lie very important manner as can- e welfare of the uemor jn ChiffJ] 1 went up to the >wing Addreaa in ug of the pretent nd Croat of the , Captain General iivincea of Lower -Bruntwick, and il of the lame, ill Hia Majeaty't nada and Upper nd their leveral >undland, Prince See. &c. I, thei.egislativ* iment asaembled, e thanks for your 'xcellency in the liberal provision relief of the dif kstiing ofUiviiie it contequeocet 5] PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. IBlH.^JMrss Lrgistativc CouHciUo Oovr.i.i Chief, [fl 1, And that there ia every reaaon to hope, that the produce of ih* late Harveit will prove more than aulficient for the cuntumptioti »f the prearnt Yr.ir. It it but juilice to acknowledge, that the trrvicea which havi- hui been rendered to a great number of lur fellow aubjecta, riginatcdin thu wile and humane precaution* (hat were taken ly your Eicellency, from the moment you were informed o( he dcititute atate in which au large a propuriioii of the cum- iiunity Were involved, We are aware, that numberleaa difTiciiitifa miiit hive ariaeii n determining upon the nio^t advantageous mode of applying iha very liberal Fundt tiut have been provided by the l.egis- ture for the improvement of the Internal Cummunicationt. nd though difliciilties and delaya unavoidably occurred in any parn of the Province, we truit, that these inipedimentu ill be surmounted ; And we anticipate with Your Excelkncy, Ihe flattering proapect, that in the course of the approachinn aion, the whole of the plani. which have been approved will t carried into excciitinn. We are sennible of the advmtages that must ariae from any improvement in the state uf Agriculture in this Proviiici- ; and should the Emigrations from hurope continue, we 'hall ^VMy facilitate, aa far aimiiy be in our power, the introduction into the Colony of such experienced farmers and L.iboureraa» may, by their example, contribi;te to the advancement of i:s Agri- cultural Interests. The Commands of His Royal Uighnest the Prince Regent, directir.g Your Excclloncy to cull upon the Provincial l.ej^isla- »urc, to vote the ^ulllf necessary for the ordinary Annual Ex- penditure of the Province, will receive from us that dutiful at- jlention which the gteutuiidoerioua importance uf the object they Velate to, requires. It is satisfactory to us to learn, that the amount which has iteen ascertained to be due from this Province to Upper Canada, '/or the proportion of Duties upon Goods wliidi have passed Ihroujjh the Lower I'toviiice into Upper Canada, has been paid ver to persons authorised to receive it. We shall not fall to give our attention to the Report of the jCommissione rs appointed hy an Act of the last Session, to treat with those of Up|ier Canada for the formation ufanew provi- itonal agreement, whenever your Excellency shall be pleased lo ause the same to be laid before ua. In deliberating on the measures best adapted to advance the Interests of our fellow subjects in thii Province, it will be our arnest wish to be guided by the same principles of loyalty, and he same dispositioiia to mutual confidence that have hererofore brained your approbation ; being sensible, that in so doing, e shall secure the important advant;igc ot Your Excellency's [•ssisiance in every iiieiiiure that has for its object the pubic ood ; and that with such feelings on all sides, the result of this f?es«ion cannot fail of being useful to our country, and honora- le to ourselves, ro WHICH Ills EXCKl.LFNCV WAS PLRAiKO TO MAKE lur. VOLLOWINO A.SSWLH, GENTLEMEN, It i< with much suti-ifaction that I receive your loyal Address ; |nd I have to return my best thaiik»forthe sentiments you have eitpreoed in it. Entertaining no doubt of your patriotism and zeal for the Igeneral nood, I am also pc'suaded, that the public business will he conducted by you with diligence and attention. And I shall Il.iiik forward to thu happiest cflects from your assistance; on jwhich \ shall fonfidently rely. HOUSE OF ASSEEBLY. WEDNESDAY, 14th January, 1818, Mr Davtdion rose in his place and submitted to House cer. [lain Provisional articles of agreement with Upper Canada re- Ihtive to duties and drawbacks to be reciprocally allowed to lach Pioviiice, which are as follow : lit. Ihat the Lcgitlature of Upper Canada will not impose |ny duties whatever, on any goods, wares atid merchandizes ini- J'.rtcd into Lower Canada, and passing into Upper Canada 11'i'gthe fontinuanje of this agreement, but will allow and I .m t thu Legislaiure of Lower Canada to impose and levy " th Duties, M3 such ffiadt, ivwcs ,i«d Oicrchandizf?* 9' 'hey , may judge expedient: other than goods imported from Upper Canada, ad. That durinjf the continuance of this sgreemrnr, the i'rowiiice of Upper Canada shall be intitled to receive annujlly, one fifth part of all the Dutiea (exclusive of the -rxpence of col- lection) which alull be raised, Itvied and collected in Lower CauaiU under and by virtue of an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain parsed in the fourteenth year of His Majesty't Reign, intituled, " An Act to establish a fund towards fur- " ther defraying the charges of tk« admini-itratinn of Justice, '• and support of Civil Ooverninent Within the Province of " Quebec in America." And also one fifth part of all du- liea,(cxr.lu)ive of the expei.ce of collection) winch the Legulatura of Loi'ei Canada have already imposed, or may hereafter ini- puse un goods, waret or merchaiulizea imported, ur to be im- ported into Lower Canada during the continuance uf thii a- greement, provided nevertheless that this agreement, shall not be construed to extend to duties laid upon goudi, sold at Auc» lion in Lower Canada as aforesaid. 3d, That the operation of this agreement shall be considered to cuiiiiuetice un the first day of January la^t and shall bu in fucce until the firit day of July, which will be in the year of uur Lord, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, Mr, U, at the tame time gave notice that it wat hit inten.. tion to move the House on Fnd»y next, on the expedience of presenting an Address to His Excellency the Governor in Chief, praying that His Excellency will be pleased to lay before the House a copy of thw- memorial of the Assetwbly of Upper Cana- da to His Royal Highneat the Prince Regent— He stated to the Houae.that the Commissioners appointed fur the purpose aforesaid, by an Act of the Legislature in the last .Session had met the Cumniisiioners from Upper Canada at .Montreal, with whom they had not, until after several earnest conferences a- gretd upon the articles «ow submitted to the consideration of the House. He Mr. D, had not been present at the cotil',:- rvticca at Montreal, but he had afterwards met the Gentlemen appointed on the part of Upper Canad-4, at Quebec, and hi? Wat sorry to say, that he could not acltnuwledge to have found in tl'.em that favutable dispokitioii lo accomodation, which fiom the liberality of the Legislature of this Province nii^ht reason- ably have been anticipated, — He would nevertheless refrain from any further comments upon the subject for the present, and he content with moving for leave to introduce a Bill to ratify and confirm the same. And he accordingly moved for leave to introduce the same. The Bill was introduced and read fur the first time, and order- ed for the second reading oi? the 'i-lih instant. Tilr, Andrew Sluiar' presented ii I'etltion, fi-oni .Tohij Neilson and divers Electors of the County of tiuebcc, aguinst the Election and return of James M-Callum, Esquiru, for bri- bery and corruption uf the grossest nuturu. iVlr. Stuurt observed that it was nut necessary at the pre- sent stiige ol the Petition to occupy the time of the House in obicrvatioiit on the nature of the offenses which it had fallen to lii» duty to lay before the House. They were of a nature lo interest every Member of the Legislature and of the Country at large. To wink at such procedings would be criminal in the extreme as their tendency must necessarily be, to render seats in th.it Honourable Irlouse venal, and by that means con- vert the House of Assembly into something like a Vackcil Jitn/ in^tead of an important Branch of the Legislature — He would upon a future occasion, enter more larjjely on the subject than he thought necessary to do at the present moment. Mr. ri'i'fr observed thijt he would nut prejudge the affair t.i question inasmuch as he was entirely ignorant cf the occurences in question, but, if the Eucts such as represented on tho fiice of thu Petition were true, they amounted to an unonnity such «s he was confident had never been exhibited in this Province. Few gbscrvations were made in the Monsoon the subject ; pro- bably from the surprise created by the natureand enormity of the Facts exhibited on tho Petition, as viell as from n hunse ol' thu propriety of sus])ending all upiition until ufler an enquiry on tlid Subject, which on motion ot Mr. A. Stuart was fixed for the 6lJi February next. Mr, Cuvulkr, rose in pursuance of notice which he h.nd given on JSaturdav last, uf hisintentiun tuuccviKuthe lIonoral)le."\ieiu- b|.rofthe L'uuii'y of Bedford (.Mr. M'Cord) of bjid faith, in ( HWBtWWWWIWII PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. l6l8.-^Mrusation of Mr. M'Cord. bavlni^ wrprlicd the Ilnuio in the Iwu Si'*Kion In pawing (lie ilill, tor rp;(ulatingthc Police of (he Cities ol' tiuebcc and Mon- Ucal and iho lowii of Thrti- Hivern. It inurt at all tunes Ik- it m'Wt iiiipleawntduty to uccuso, but he lilt loiiviiitcd thm it was 'luetothe Iloutieandtothu C.mntry toguinto anenqulrv inwin fnc Suhjic-t in (|ucslliin, in ordir th.it thtiir ConittitucntH" miVht h.tvo some cxplnniitionoftlietAlraordinary Oversight of till House in allowing (1 ilillofHuchan iinixirtant nature tu p.uic, which nc must have known never intended it to become a peimanent l^ow. Ilpshould thereforein candor and ingiiod faith have ap- prised the House or the Special Cominitteo to which the Bill had been committed, of his intention of milking it ii permanent Act, orhroupthttolinve directed tho OlHter apiwinted by tho iJoiisefor nre|wiiiR the Hill, , for (he pas- Itrd to find had lie bceu nnadt' a iiiself in having on its progress IS however, far ly to introduce Act in question. isation was entirely h any prospect of the pasving uf the tu the Iloiiorable cd with the whole )r comment. The not, he conceived. It or an expulsion, a Iwre operation of ir for bis opinion, I account be impu- ire iinolication, be arge. it was owing 'lijiikation, pcopiis harnd of trtAwn and MhrmuppoMd crtmct, that M many itrug' Uu Jaitien (hit it had b««n found impotnibli to givt dut at* ■ 1-... -.. -.. ncuiou iuih« Act, upon which ha waiconfidtni ih«r» could ba out i Miigia opiuiof,, A Vownr of luch nmurr conimitifd to tli« Mjgiiiratit mu.t iiactiuril) e«rry wiih it m«iiy incon»«- ui«iic«». Tha abuni niuit ba ih« niura gnrvoui m> m*ny of ihc UuUt nud« in purtuaiiceof th« Act mp<{ht mpit tiiriiiially *ll«ct ih« proptrty of iha Ciitscni j in>l it i< nuiurinut that iha lilt of auihuriry, commitiad ond«r it, hud hcritu. lor» (MMd iu(h Hvprvicnratijut a> to hjvt .iidare,! tha LcgiilHiur* (o r«ir«iich tht power ol iiiakiiiK and Miictiuning Hull! ol J olica lor country VilUgtt— H* did not ititnid ;o rr- pioiich inai.criminiicly th« Magitirairi with having mi tuxd iiicir power (ii tlia datrmieiit ot iheir lellow Citileni. Thnw at Moiiir«.»l though they may havit lomecimft errt-d, ucnaraily •pe-king, deirrvtd the »p lau..- of their futl<>« Citueii. for lh< d.ln;eiiL«wiih which ihry had promoted the iniprovrmei.n of lh..c City tipecially of late yaari. 1 o err wa> human, and tliry were not leu lallibla th*n the reit of mankind. But they Were (or Want ofa long eiperieii^a in common wih ma^ y of Ihcir tellow Litiienn too laile acquainted wiili tho irue princi- ple! and rulea o( government. lie asked if II could bo imagined that the Houie of Asteinhly tor a luointjnl could have inleiidi-d the Act to be perpelual— He hiunelf upon hearing at Montreal Iha^ sucn waa llie caie, had given il uo crcJit until he had seen a pj Idled Copy ul tliu Act. of the last Session. All lilt; iVle.nbers ne hud sueu at Montrc.il were of . llio aanie opinion, uud iiiauy '.( iho»e Geallemen did not he- kitale lo lell liiin with a lone of j,erlecla.«uraiue lliat the ilviTiavt taken place in KnK'and Ixitwecn the (leopie and the ru- pttrs, which liava onilod in c uatiliahinK th« neciwkitv of proving V, rt net* oitalhu thoAu uciuaed of auch ollVncea. In i'uct, if w« dvert 10 the hiirrnri of thu (■^«llch lluvoluliun, w« tludl llnd that khe greater imtI uf the exccuUniikwh'' 'i took place uiiilvr ilie ii«ii> iiinary regime of'tliu leaders of tl< uiud, were merely for opi> lliion. 'That ihuM I'rt iich denui.t. jrn, ur public uceuHura, tiad •liuwn thamaelvca the mu!>t inUilerant ut' tyranta, and that he wuuUI plwav* oppoM! ihe Introduction uf any auch tyninntcal ayiteminto ^hib I'rovince. iMr. Taachcieuu iiiadv auuic uhjtr1iuth pnrtu'a, thatthc Iluuae ahuuld tukeupthc aubjoct, anil let ■the coniefiucnce rekt '•■here It uugiil. ExpuUion or cenaurc, of unu lor other of the portica, must ensue, aa he might reaMiiiably Infer, Ifrom the reciprocity uf charges witbwhichthw Ucuilemcn inquea- Itiun hud accused eiu-h utlier. lie, however, by iiu meana Inlend- led, by any thing be hod said, to draw any odious cuinparisuna witli Irespect to the lion. Member who had moved thu meoaure. Mr. yii;cr obierved that the honourable Member accused, Itiad iniiiiuated that he (Mr. V.) had been guided by puliiicul Imutivei rather than by |Kiiiciplea oi JLtlicc He answered llhat in public meaaures he had invariably nude it a rule to lay laiiide all coniideraiioni of u pernunal natme. He might indeed lutcaiitinully err, but he irutied that hit lellow Cititeiis could liiut in jusiice, u).'taiU uf the I'olice of (Quebec and Montreal lit was requisite to entrust a certain share of local Legislation ItO the authorities upon the spot. To delegate this power to Ithose acqiLiiiited with the local circumstances ul thu»e place, vat the result of necessity, not of choice— It was an expen- nent-p-and the powers of making Rules and Regulations of i'o- lice had as a matter of course been confided to the Maj^istrate- Icf those Cities — but these Magittiatrs wire alrio charged with Ithe administration of the municipal revenues, as well as witli Ithr judicial functions relating to them. 'Ihe l^aw therefore icnntained in itself principles diametrically op| ored to those of Ithe Constitution, it gave tu a bo.ly of men liable to be re- Inioved from day today powers rrpugnant in themselves, that lof legislating, et\fhrcing and judniiig <}/' delinqmincies vommit- Ited 111 cintravention to (heir aces of legn-lation. It was an union icf the legislative, executive and judicial powers which accord- ling to the principles of (he best Uovernnlents were absolutely I incompatible. The intention of the members of that House had always I (he understood) been to revise the X aw in question, and to I adopt a plan which might correct the vices contained in it. 'J'his had been proposed every time the Act alluded to had come I before the House, and if he remenibered right, it had I been particularly mentioned last year. This purpose had ne- ver been lost sight of, and the Act had therefore been always of short duration, with a view to the alteration tu which he al- luded, and indeed it was solely owing to the multitude of af f;;irt with «hich the House iiad bccu su opptosed dating the Acl v*aslciupijrarj— jiulj;e of Uwirsurpriie m being un- deceived; Ihcy IciL with iiiiii t; iliiH lloiioiable tJouse aiidlhe Meinberscoinposiiigii.iiMiNiiie exposed to the obloquy ol having in tins iiisiaiac sacniiced Ihe inlcresls ol their Fellow Citizens, and that it must in some measure allui 11 lo the whole Legislature. The jnsi demands of their ».oii»litueii(s v»ere entitled (o an enquiry on the subject III order Ihallhe evil nighl be traced to its source, and ihalUiey who were iu some sort the Victims of the odious auspiciun of havingfiivoredlhe pas^a-e of IhisAct nil-Ill be rescued from the unmerited opprobium. It was ul the more remote parts ollhe IVovince where thi« snspicioimnghi be strongest. Heroin Qneliec the I'u- hlit have the means ol knowing the diilicnlly under which Mcinhcrs who wish to follow closely (lie public liusincs'. have lo labour. The prodigious mass of bus- iiH.s renders it impossible for every individual Member of the Legislature to observe with minute attention the various Petition4n}otiuns,BiliS,&c.whichpats inconstant successio 1. The slightest alteration in a phrase or a, word, inaj often c.iange the meaning and nature ofal^ill, and give a turn to Ihe sense uf it never iutendcd hy the Legisiiiturc. What would become of the public busi- ness if the [louse cuuld not rely upon the fidelity and Ihe honor of Members iiitroclncing and cuiiducimg Uills Ihruugh that House, as well as upon the Olhcers and writers preposcd for Ihc drafting mid framing of Bills and the general superiuleudaiice uf the pruceediugsi of the iloiiiie i Mr. Viger, gave a rapid sketch of the Number of Bills Pelilions and other important matter before (ho Iloiiiie in the last Session, which he observed might ho some excuse for the ominissiou of the clause liiuiUng the doratiou of the Act. Some of the Hunorahle Members hud expressed doubtft as to the regularity of the molion before the Moiise. He maintained it to he nerfectly constilutioiial and founded upon the Example of the Imperial Parlia-. ment in cases analogous to (he present. Members admit^^. led, they had heen iTeieivcd and they were told (hat the' renieUy was simple, it was only tu introduce a Bill tu' repent the act iu question without uiiy preliminary ei^-. quirj. Could such a measure, if al all necessary, be a- adopled williMiil even the shadow of a pretext to induce UieolLor b:uMciie.s lu concui with liiem r Wiialreasuu II 'v 11] PARL. REGISTER, SS Geo. III. could theyofiiir ? the thing would raanifcMly be absurd, vnd would involve the House in incon^tistency. With respect to the Honorahle Member for Bedford, he ought to be considered guiltless of the charge unlit it were established by proof, lis was perr uaded that Mem- bers were disjxifcd to put the most favorable construc- tion on his conduct, bjt it was proper that the very sus- picion of the foul imputation laid to his charge should be rsmovedi ana be kuew of no ulher mode of doin^ so than the present. — The accusation was now of record. It was solenwi, and mu!>t remain an everlasting staiu un- less r>2moved by an {enqueie) enquiry. Mumhers n^ight be pufiuaded that, ultimately, it would ap pear by the proposed iiiquiiy, that the Act in question had been made perpetual throjgh an error, as unintentional on the part of the Hon. Mcn)!i> r accused, as on the p^rt of the Committee who prepared the Dill, and of the whole Hou^e. The enquiry wduld al>9 tend to shew the public that this error, from the e- iiormous mass of business beforv the House and the multiplicity of objects which necessarily engro«Si.'d iis attention last session, was somewhat excusable. It would also justify ihcm in the introduction of another Act to repeal or at lc»st to limit the duration of the Act, which, no doubt, upon a proper and a reasonable explanation, would meet with the most favorable .e- ceptiori from the other branches of the Legl«lature. The Upper House had, no doubt, observed the alteration in the nature of the hill when sent up for their concur ence, but it WT, n«ural for them to suppose that the bill had been dis- 'cnssed below, &that a« its operation more immediately concirn- t(i the Commons, it was unnecessary to make any comments upon it. In fill?, he was of opinion that ihemeature proposed, was due to the House, tuihe Country, and so the Hon. Alem- bf r implicated. Mr. Surgia was .. newhat surprised at the nature of the accu- sation, which, nevertheless, be thought deserved some attention, and might very fairly become the subject of an enquirj' in the House. The blarae attributed to the ivliember (or the Couuty of Betiford, in passing the Bill in ques::un, was, he conceived, mis» placed. He had a right to Mippote tii<.cii itu iiic *4optiun of the Houc* ; »-ut tlie Resolution, as it now stood, pro- M»edan enqiiiriiby eviu^Hca, aud as Members couid aot shut thsjr oars againht evidence, be, for one, was oisposca to rtve it his entire concurrence. The queatiou bei 'g put by Mr. .Speaker, (he motion was arti. ti, neni. e»». Msjotity, I FRIDAY, 23d jANUARr. In a Committee of the whole House on the Bill granting a Dutyoftwoanda halfperf.eiJto.-j Merchandiae imported into this Province, &c. Mr. /^fjtiidion— in moving to resolve, »hat it was expedient to continue tlie Law now in force to that effect, observed, thai unUI the publio accounu were laid before the Hduse ii was difficult to say what was the exact slate of the Provincial finances. He could barely say from memory, that the expenditure amounted to about ^60,000 and that the revenue might probably exceed £iiO OOO in round iiumbtrs. The surplus of the Provincial Revenue re- maining at th. disposal of the Legislature had usually been appro- priated to such purposes of public utility as were from time to Ume judged expedient ibr the improvement of the Province. He thought the present mode of taxation a fair one, and as iucb, he would be tlways disposed to give it liis support. Mr. Tasch&^tau observed, that he knew of no other mode so easy as the present, nor so effldert to enable the Government and •he Legislature to provide for the necessary public expenditure, and for the improvement of the Province. The Duties in ques.. Uon had indeed been first imposed in time of war,— .in a season of necessity ; but he conceived that the daily wants of the Province »t the present period were such as to render their continuance in- dispensibly neces.iary. At a moment when the Mother Country called upoathe Colony to bear the expence of its Civil List, it was, he thought, incuniknt upon the Legislature to provide liberal means of d^raying the charge whieh was in every respect fair and JUS-, as tlie priee of the happy Constitution we enjoved from the generosity of the mc.tiier Couiitry.whoseexpcmies iu defence of the Province must lipreiofore have been considerable. In assuming t.ie ihnrje to which he alluded, he said it must bo agreeable to the i..egiEUturo and to the People of this Produce to r 2ect, that it secured tc them the full exercise and enjoyment of their Consti. tution, from which must result the happiest efTerts to His Majes. ty's Subjects in this Provinee, and die conservation of Canada to the British En.pire. The tax proposed was the best that could be de. vised for this P.ovince— It is neither difSeult nor expensive in the collection— It weighs lightly— It has undergone the test of experi- ence— ,in advantage which no new mode of taxation can allbrd -if any slight mconveiiiencies exist, they can be easily removed— He knew of nc other mode of raising a supply— To Ux agriculture in Its pre.sent infant state would be highly impoUdc : the sgricultura of the Province stood ;-ather in need of the fostering assistance of the Lej;,s.atute. AUhouijh it would at first sight appear (hat the tax m question was a shackle upon trade, yet when the facilities the pi-vseat Act aSbrded the Merchant, were considered. It would b« thougjkt otherwisv. It would be seen that it was not the Merchant but !ba consumer who in reality paid the Ua. The ouMdnn »k-. iiw ^rieujwre or jrad'e should properly be the object of laxaaon i% this Province, bad upon e former occasion been ampTy discussed u« .1 ,'*' " "^'•' ^ •«"' ^y •"'"erllng to their address to His Majesty, leladve to that subject. Members, be hoped were persuadea of the impolicy of Uxing (be soil, wlJch, however, they mM\ ullunattly ckm Uv unleis tba duli«« atprewnt f rojw. B] PARL. were contii ure. Mr. Speaker Ian more decph Ihat in which tl Necessity of ot tovying and ap|! weight andauil Iheir country . Ind BO sigiiai an liitions. To e ■hem with facil ly, is the surest Ince to escite a respects is to co nicious means o ervitude. In t »ay fewer impo articles which r fea<. Coffee, i at most from sii {ture, but two a resent subject |]ts simplest shi In pay the n< are disposed ro the same one hi one hot.dred p« taxation ? The Ivpun tiiesubjei Ireits cf trade b ■the other classe Ibave ever since 'chants were for hapBcircumstar Ithe belt, but it I the present, by tin a single port Itutefot the 3m [employ, ahost < l-sibly by the cor |#(irc.'d Reveim I rio'J, which ne the rich propri I an arid and a fi j have retarded t [ ry source of th I of moderate va I I have been liabl evemually hav as the tieasMr; collection of th »upptif«, wlii: evidently have and thushaved uiihsp^iy iiiflui informed, and ruinous system Errors — and al Prosel'tes in I eland, where been correctly Xi\n owes a hsr hjppines! has stndiousl merce. She ii nay even re Although he ^ rate duties wh n( raininD a rei mother coontr principil part in sentiment n feared that sor tivcs lees excui rr rd. [IS I tDAY, Jaht. 17. )uinont, that the Re. j intt. forgoing intvs I of January, to ta^ ine of the Houir ■*''*. ind turpriie toward* j r'ear, brought in and ilation of tbe police, e rules oir the Houie^ the luagea and foroij I, uuiges and forms ession and carried in ted anew, but ought I in consequence he o the Hous« against ieA »s follows : 9 8 r, 23d jAMUARr. the Bill granting a lize imported into it was expedient to erved, that uniil the vas difficult to say inunces. He could amounted to about V exceed £m.0UO incial Revenue re> usually been appro* i from time to time iie Province. He ae, and as jucb, he no other mode so e Government and public expenditure, tie Duties iu que>> ir,— in a season of Its of the Provinr* 'ir continuance in- B Mother Country Civil List, it was, to provide liberal ry respect fair and enjoved from the s in defence of th« lie. Ill assuming 10 agreeable to the to i- 2ect, that it t of their Consti. 'ts to His Majts- tinn of Canada to t that could be de< r expensive in th« he (est of t^xperi- ion canaAbrd -if ily removed — U« tax agriculture ia : : the sgriciilture iring assistance of t appear that the n the facilities the erid, it would b« not the Merchant kct of (axaiion i« ampTy discussed a thcif address to be hoped, wer* vldch, however, It'preitnttiro^,. 1^] PARL. register, 58 Geo. lit. 1818.— Bill granting ^ Si' half per ct. on Merchandize.lU were continued, in order to provide for the public expendi- Lire, Mr. Speaker, roR to say that, no subject b( deliberation Janmoredetply iniereji thetepreteniativesof a Propie, than (hat in which the imposiliun of duties in put in quention. The heceMity of obtaining the concurrence of the commons in evying and appropriating mooiea, is the f.rit source of their reight and authority in the direction of the public concerni of Iheir coun'ry . Few other acts of Legiblition have so iniiniate Ind io sigiiai an influence upon the pro»perily and declension of Iiitions, To establish easy and moderate impoKs; to collect Ihem with facility and economy ; to distribute them judicious- ly, is the surest method, within reach of the L ^slator, at bnce to excite and to reward industry ; to fail in :ny of these respects it to conneti the imposition of duties into the most per- nicious means of retaining mankind in poverty, indolence and lervitude. In those respects our situation is happy ; we in fact flay fewer imposts than any other civilized people. Upon those article* which may be considered as objects of luxury, such at teas Coffee, Sugar, Wines, Spirituous Liquors &c. we pay at most from six to ten pr.cent, and upon articles of nianulac- ture, but two and a half percent. This latter duiy was the Resent subject of consideration. To reduce the proposition to lits simplett shape, it is merely this. Shall we, in order to pay the necessary public expenditure, as often as we are disposed to purchase any article of Importation, pay for the same one hundred and two pence half penny, instead of one hot.dred pence ; or shall we recur to sonv* other mode of taxation ? The public opinion has long since been pronounced {upon the subject,— It is tome vears since the misconceived inte- Iretts of trade brought into contact with the general interest of Ithe other classes of the population, occasioned discussions which [have ever since fixed the public opirisn on this point. The Mer- Ichants were for the establishment of direct taxes. There are per- kiapB circumstances under which this mode of taxation niit>ht be fthe best, but it was certainly erroneous, to prefer such a mode to [the present, by which nine tenths of the revenues were collected [in a single port of entry ; It would be he said erroneous to substi- tute for the small number of Custom House Officers which we Umrloyi aho« ofexcii-emeo,— to prefer, tothe Duties, paid insen- ^ibly by the consumer and in a way entirely at his own option, a #(.rc.'d Revenue upon every acre of Soil payable at a fixed pe- rio'J, which necessarily must operate with unequal weight upon the rich proprietor of fertile Lands, and the poor proprietor of an arid and* fruitless soil. Such an inipo*t mutt necessarily have retaided the progress of clearing the woodlands, the prima- ry source of the prosperity of all new Countries where lands are of moderate value, ina>much as nr^ne but cleared lands were to have been liable to it. These innumerable disadvantage! would eveirtually have injured the advocates of the proposed measure, as the tieasMry coiwtantly in want, from the (jreat expence of collection of the revenues, would constantly have craved new surpties which bearing upon the massof the population must evidently have reduced the consumption of every article of trade, and thu8havedimini>.hcdthetradeit5elf. Such,h^ever, watthe uiihsppy tiiflumce nf personal interest, that men otherwise well informed, and enlitihtened, strongly advocated this vicious and ruinous system. The same motives may still produce the same Hrrors— and alt hough such a perverse doctrine will obtain few Proselvtes in this Province, it might have some effect in Eii- cland, where the true interest of this colony had not always been correctly represented, nor well understood. Great Bri tain owet a grea, part of her success, "her power, and her hipplness to the judicious eticouragement which she has studiously extended to her manufactures aud her com- merce. She It perhaps excessively jealout of every thir.g which may even remotely affect these great national iiitereitt. Although he was persuaded that the collection of these mode- rate dutiet which it it pcopoted to continue, was the best rtiode QfraiainD a revenue without either injuring the interests of the mother country or of the colony.—Although persuaded that the principal part of the Merchants of the country were too liberal in sentiment not to concur in the truth of thii, yet it was to be feared that tome individuals either through error, or f-om mo- tives lees excuisble, might rai«e a calumuious clamour on the other side of the Atlantic, and induce a belief, that, Canadians, strangers to the interests of the mother country, aud :o the principles which cuntolidaie the prosperity of its commerce, have purposely laboured to shackle its colonial trade, by the injudicious duties imposed on its minufiicturet, while the inter-.' iial resources of the Province were adequate to the erpences of Its Civil Governnient— With a view upon these contiderations, and aware that the duties in question were to expire in March, 1818, unless the law were renewed, he had felt it hit duty, at the close of the last Session, to mention it to His Excellency the Governor in Chief, who had permitted him to offer his opinion on the subject, and who, with his usual vigilance and attention to every thing that concerned the public interests, re- ceived that of several other persons on the subject ; he knew alto that teveral Members of that Hou'-e, with wbote seal for the promotion of the interests of the Province, he (Mr. Speak- er) was well acqnainted, had, in tike manner, suggested that, in'the event of the disposition of the Provincial Legislature to renew the Act altiided to, it might be of advantage that Kis Mjjesty's Ministers should know the motives which had indu- ced them to lelect this mode of taxation. After having maturely waighedthesubject. Hit Excellency the Governor in Chief had re- qiietted inttructionsfrom Ministers, if any iaipediments had been interposed, they had been overcome, aiid he thought it a duty, —a duty he performed with satisfaction, of seizing the earliest occasion of communicating to the House the important informa* tion, that if it should judge expedient to continue the duties in- question, His Excellency the Governor in Chief was authorised and disposed to give the Royal Sanction to such Bill as might be submitted to him to that effect. It were proper, not only that the Home, but that the Trade in general should be appri- sed of this circumsiance as early as posiihle, to as to be enabled tu reguljte their operations with certainty. This consideration of the connection between the trading and the general interests of the Province, led him to call the early attention of Members to another question too intimately con- nected with the present to be omitted. It was to consider what duration ought to be given to the Bill proposed, and he was of opinion that it ought to be for tome years. If luch Actt were annua!, the Merchants alwayt uncertain whether they would bf renewed, might be essentially affected in their concerns, and incapable of deciding what proportion of their capitals ought to be reoerved for the payment of the duties as well as for the li- quidation of their imports. They would then have cause to complain, and their complaints would compel the- Legislature tu seek some other object of taxation. He, therefore, thought the Act might be extended tu four years, leaving it to the next Parliament to continue or abolish it, as in its wisdom, it might be found expedient. Let it not be said that this will go to destroy the Represen tntion. He had, at heart, as much as any of his fellow citixens, the wish that their Representatives shotild acquire all the im- portance which the constitution,— the ls«t, the best, and the most analogous to that of Great- Britain, which the English nation, 10 Its liberality, had bestowed upon any of its Colonies, could cunfet upon them. Le: us guard, (he observed) the precious boon conferred upon the people of Lower- Canada, of declaring annually their opinion by their Representatives. And in matter of supplies let us be annual counsellors, whose consent must be had for their distribution. ..He made a distinction between the imposition and appropriation of Duties. ..This latter operation ought to be annually repeated. On their care in preserving this right, and in using it with wisdom depended the importance u£ the Representation of the Province. In observing the increase during the last ten years, ef the prosperity of the Province, — inquiring »ls» into its future des- tinies and anticipating a long peace abroad, and union at home, a still more rapid developement of the great natural resour- ces we possess, may fairly be looked for in the ensuing tea years. A prudent distribution of the surplus of the public revenue in improving the public routes ana comuiunicaiious by land and water to facilitate the clearing of lands which advance so rapidly by the emigration from Burepe, from whence we derive capital, information, and improvements in industry, and to facilitate the eaabliihment of tbaae'/Vsettie^ HSKpsaosusii' U2 PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. lSl8.-^rwxis^oualJgrcr^aU between [IfiL menu ia which the Iandr.^ai,a,lB anA *r\ ^^ . -. — .^^ ^ . — .„.,.___. „,,., ^.^^j uxm s. ara-.v- back upon all merchandize going into the Upjier Province, which if actsepted should take effect after l>ein« notified by Proclamation. The BiU not having as yet passed the llouse, this clause remains, to be disposed of,) had observed. .f ^V; ^«W«o«— Had not been present at the conferences held at Montreal with the Commis-sioners, (as he had, upon a fbnner occa.sion. stated to the House.) He however saw aMcrnbew^To ther places who wereof the C' '^'^ '" the negoSl tion alluded to, ^ which he conceived to be entirely a neirociation relative to tabl>shi*ig lyinK >uch dut [cpedipot, If< ly the sgreemc [itering it at > ^^ought, such a lad just alluded |i(m to Membs lew that for tl .Province tr for 1 be establishm Ration., wouUic frovincas— Up r«.— it wa»»ul ivetothe Unii tlace lite Provi ttates OD the Si )>iae running n iin the Like Si /ouid easily ev ;dat Pi.i»t au jivide. If a Cu |he river becon 'ither b« entire! >aid to watch t the khores of tl ►very point wit! Hons of the Ai \o enforce ih« d .'igilanceand ei irjiice of Lower lawa wliich sep (f not greater fai ^Eographical p< render it impos koshut the door lie expellee ol rhich were the hose of Bunapi VVb were so »! lo Upper-Canac tad cause to be! ida thoroughlj IS they were eai for us to be oth were satisfied \ with Upper-C foundi'd upon a w,is, as it we' e, :harits were in 'ince.— He coul litcontent in the tble tn ascertair |by that Provin( Eonsideration of Mr. CumiUfr, fc [en to his lot to u IseHion given nol |fe«8ionid iicquini [than he, would I I public, which tli I pcctcd from thos ' than from Meir tlian from public braid any Mamb Aiiivinistration < for llthuugh the] ««!«*:r«.' PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. in Hon. Member had spoken of drawback in fuvor of Upper fcatiada, leaving the tjcgislatureof that Province, to impose such (ties as they thought proper, u\x>n thoir own p»!f»p,e, aa the su- rt means of removing cTery giound of complaint. / Mr. Viger observed, tliat it was not for this Province to start the Itlectijon : it wnsfor Upper Canada to look after ita own interestH, Jid live might fairly auppose It did so,— if any inconveniences esultcd from the present Agreement, tljat Province would, no jouiti take the earlio* occasion to obviate the evil. In cc It could 091 be denied that Upper Canada bad a right (f cutabtishkOg CuMflm Homes, upon its own frontier*, and ^yin* such duties upon its aiportations as might be thought kpedieot. If either of the Provinces should in the least suffer iy the agreernent in queuiuii, what was to prevent them from lltering it at any future period ? The agreement was, he bought, such as to exclude any consideration on the subject he lad just alluded t». He nevertheleM would give such informa Etm to Membera,. » he possessed on that subject, and would |h«W that for the prewnt, it was tiot expedient either for this Province or for Upper-Canada, to adopt this new principle. J he e«Bblishment of Custom Houses for this proposed iuno- lauoa, would evidently militate against the niterests of both Provinces— Upper-Canada would, however, suffer more than L,_||t wa» sufficient to look at its geographical position rela- live to the United Statca and to this Province. In the first llace tUe Province of Upper Canada, was di»^ided from the jltates on the South by the Great Lakes ; on the East by a viae running north from a point a liitlr above Point au Baudet |in the Lake St. Frangois, It vms obvious, that smugglers yruid easily evade the vigilance of a Custom House establish- ed at Pi.int au Baudet were the i,ake St. Fiangois was so kvide. If a Custom House were establi>hed smII higher, where Ihe river becomes more narrow, the intiimediate space must Jither be entirely abandoned, or an army of Officers must be l>aid to watch the trade, how would it be possible to watch 'he fcbores of the river above, where goods might bt lauded at )very point with so much faciliry ? He menuoned the exer- fions of the American- Government previous to thelate war. {o enforM the famous non-intercourse, which in ^pite of all their Ligilanceand exertions had been eluded, on the north ihe Pro- vince of Lowtr-Capada extended along the B.»nk» of the Ot- fawa which separated the two Provinces, and afforded equal, If not greater facilities for smugRlmg. In a word the whole eographical position of tha Upper Province, was such as to render it impossible, without the assistance of this Proviijce, |o shut the door against contraband, or to bfar the intolera- ble expence of paying for Custom House e>tabli»hments, Jwhicb were they filled by Dtaanitn as numeruusand vigilant a» khose of Bonaparte, could not suffice to prevent smuggling. kve were so situated as to be able to render essential service \o Upper-Canada,— we ought to be upon friendly teims. — We liad cause to believe that the public characters of Upper Ca- ada thoroughly understood the interests of their IVovince, and as they were eat-sfied on these important points, it wa» needless for us to be otherwise. From this expos^, he hoped Members kvtre satisfied with the principles upon which the agreement kvith Upper-Canada had been concluded. It had been foundi'd upon abasia of reciprocd advantage. — Lower Cun.id i [was, as it we' e, the centre of their Commerce, and our Mer- tharits were in a manner the Agents of the Uiiper-l'ro- vjnce.— He could say, that the mode proposed, far from excitmg discontent in the Siiter Province, was as f.ir at he had been able to ascertain, talien in the most friendly w.iy, and considered Iby that Province in the light in which he subi^itted it for the coasideration of the Houie, MONDAY, 26th JiHCAUT, 1818. Mr. CuvilUfr, felt himself inadequate to the duty which it had fa!!- [cn to his lot to undertake, and of which he had, nt the elosa jf last ■ session given notire, in the hopes that gonlleroeu, whoironi pro- [fetgionid iicqiiinements, might be much more ade.'re existed such an anomaly in the organiiation of Couits as in this Province : our Chief Justices were at once Legislators, Council- lors and Judges; they united in themselves the Legislative, the Judi(-iaiy, and the Executive Powers ; tliey were here legislating to-day, to-morrow in Council, and the next day in Court ; this one, was at one moment administering justice in the Vice Admi- ralty, and the next he was judging in the King's Bench. That one was at once a Judge and a Translator, and, in fttct, one would suppose, by their tnonopoly of places and incompatible oHiees, that these honorable personages had not enough to live up- on with a thousand a year. If such were really the case, he, fur one, would ba proud in contributing to improve their revenues so as to render them perfectly comfortable and indepcndant, as it was absolutely necessary that they should be so — If the Judges had nut enough of a thuiisunu a year, for God's sake give them fifteen hun- dred a year, or more, if necessary ; but let them do nothing but judge, and let thcni be Judges in one court only — Let us not com- pel thcin through indigence to prostitute ihe dignity of their oflices by grasping every little place within their reach, .vhich may, in fact, be nijcessary to enable them to subsist. He observed, that wlidt with the power of the Judges, and the petty difficulties in which they were constantly involved from the incompatibility of various offices which tliey exercised, no man could feel himself safe ; soon or late they come in- o collision with individuals, who, of course, would become obnoxious, and as such, be objects of hatred and per • secutioB The Judges wure the most powerful and dangerous men ill society, and there was no man whom they could not soon or late reduce to ruin — But to return to the Admiralty Coiurt, he relied • much upon the iitcotnprttibtUti/ nj the union of we nyicet of Jml^ of the. A'ivg's Bench nn't of' Judge in the Admiialttf. In some instances, it may be reipiisile to apply to the King's Bench to ar- rest or correct the proceedings of the Admirnlty. Could it be stip. po«d that the JitdiJ'', who, at one moment, might have committed n 10] PAW. REGISTER, .8 G.„. ,„. i.U.^JUrsin C„,W „/ r,ceMn,M,^. J he Admiralty, *ouW. ot the next mnmp„» -..ii„ -^ '^ 1 ^dilTn't",!' Kits R*'; *""?''' " '•'•' ""' ■""■"«"'• "•"'- P- •mmg in tlic Kintj-n Ikwh, revise and correct his own proceedirwn Would , not r.the. be probable that the Judge would b^ TceS «g n t the Suuur or Advocate, who would pTe.unie to call inTurs tix,.. the corre «. i ^ . ""''"'gi "'« «,«n„„ jj . , ^ ***' ''owever, in the present in- qaeM,on_he had stubborn facts to proceed up„„-he had i Ece" ot the most serious ioconvenienciea resulting from the reunion of 1"' ,?' rr,' '" "■* ^6^""'='"^" """ded to. A genteman (w on. air. Cuv.lher named) had been involved in 2, AdmS su t, and had, (as he conceive,! been unjustly compelled u„2 ra,„ 0. imprisonment by u Writ of that Court^to Ty a larfiesum ol money: upwards of ^100 Th» ™„fi._ • ^ '^ " "rgesum havL moliprf In H,« K Uf \.! gentleman m question would Th. ( 1 .• ." " P''<''"''"ion Of some mode of redress i he U. lef Justice was at that time absent from the Provino, The Adinlntlty Judge was also senior puisne Judge in the King's Bench aud^iuch presided there. Another of the Judges was related to he gentleman aggrieved, and the remaining Judge was of 0'^^^ .ncompetont to .lecide upon any qucstionlwhal then m,Zt .lonel-llather than go to prison he paid the money, and lubrJiite^l .. the m„r„ficj.t,o„ of paying a sum which he did Lt think was eT therfuTlyor le«al ly due. and the legality of which he ccJd not even have the .misfacion of discussing before a comnetent T. v«» u..constuutional and con trary to the spirit of the law which prohibits all Judge SS a., interest in a,iy mutter in discussion. And alUi ug U. (J f U understood that the Ad.mralty Courts in Britain eLctedfoes he behoved It was re.triccd to certain cases .ly. Bad examuk^' were, however, not to be imitated, and although the evil 3 in some sense be sanctioned by precedent, ,t was no reason that he evil when found to exist, should be tolerated. The Jud "e. he un! derstood had a salary as Judge of the .\dmiralty...If k .adZ enough, let hiin have tlirce times as much, if neeesVry but let I m have no interest in any case-Let every officer be well pa d-S the administration of justice be independant and res,4ct^^ e. He a te t on of the House: It was the delegation of the J.idle al power by the honorabk. Judge m question to Surrogates. Thehon Cw ^d. upon his do,Mrtu;.e for England, upwards of sixteen month^ Mi. ■, delegated his power to three Gentlemen, who had. in the r turn, delegated U to another Gentleman, who. how "ve Tesi^ctS ."Other respects, ho understood, had never ^racLd a luv ba and couhl therefore, scarcely be thought adequate to so mltaii a charge. Thus was the judical power Ihifted from one to the ano ther and ,t required very little .xertioi. of the imaginai^n ,0 fan- cy that sonie day or other wc should find the Post in question oc- "■•-' ~~ '- - ■ • ■ ■ expedient to take un ihAu^ZTj^V^.'''^"'': b«*«>"«> highly „ _ . FRIDAY, Mth Jav. 181^ Mr. Ougy, in moving the House " to resolve it..W !„.„ nuttee of the whole on Wednesday the ^t F Cj „ xt o'^ nto consideration whether i, is not expedient to .mend fh* A ?J the.6tbye.rof His^Jajesty. Chap."^. S.lraT^^^'^^i.ti tj the Townships of this Province," observed that this CoW h.] smce Its establishment, been severed from thp Rri • ! s . '^ ^i ready opened and nnde c, hurr 7W T*'"! '"""' "''"A „(• „ ! '"■"'"• " "OC, in fine. \>een ascertained that th^ fr./.! oauon from Township to T.wnship and Tm thence ,0 the „?"!" pal markets in this Province, and thus affording ample ,coTf rn&rr'thlt7"f ' T'''"' '" '"^ "- IWnXs-K indeed true that the Legislature when the means of thi u > were taken into consideration, had in the'a.tT.ln m,il J"" generous exertion towards the improvement oHhelnteS P J munications, but it was also equally true that .n^ ^* «ere derised to maintain and keej in Cir the new ™^. T",! ar.dy „ aswellasthosewhlh rentjj tor„; *^;^ oo..r,eoftl,e ensmng Summer, all these new routes of inw„,l eommuncation must i,. a short tune relapse inTo thd pristine m passah e state. The road Ac, which had been „, r«s f«J. ; 8 different tenure trarn Z.. "f!^^^:,!dl'"T *'? !'^^'^ hy quite ^tra^vl!'w''c? ^\''"^'"=i '° '^"^« ^Of*ard. and solely w rth„« .* ^ l>pnging under consideration a subject well «.n^»ri^^^K'"^/"'' '"'''"'■ '«' «>nfl'icntly hoped wouid-^sult in rendering the Administration of Justice in this Provincrmorp nd*pen&nt and respectable, bf dividing offices at™nc^inc"m! patible and derogatory to the Interests of Government aSdrf :.'''S"^f'- "«t^%«linglymoTed, Mhat a C^mS S^a^ p< inted to enquire if any, and what abuses existed in thrAH •• -ithpower7o-scnkT;pe;;;;\"i^;£'^Sd'"rk-oX^'""' '^^•'''• Soine conversation ensued, in which Mr, Cuvillier was adviwd was_happy to find, felt an equal solicitudrJl^K kS,*'?.!''! ^d'wifh^l'i,""'^'-''"" "' ""' ^""""y in qt«^«tionT"and Voncu^f to •" K.pateany serious opposition to the measure proposed. ' .wr. Ougy £ motion eccotdingly passed unanimously. !1 PAUL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. IIL, IS 16. --Tfehtive to covering Hoofs with Shingles [22 TUESDAY, 10th 1'kbrlary, 1818. On the Bill for repealing, in part, an Ord' incetbr prevcoting cidents by Fire. JMr. Viger introduced the Bill. He conceived that the amend- ent it contained was so obviously expedient, tliat there could be t a single opinion on the subject. It had been found by CTpc- jnce, that shingles were at once the best and the cheapest covcr- ig that could be used for houses ; they were better suited for the nutt: than boards, and it had also been ascertained that in cases &ct, they were not even so dangcruus as common pine boards. behaved the l^slatiu^ to facilitate as much as possible, thut lodc of building and covering, which was found to be most con- itent with economy and the means of the middling classes, whose ertions were the main spring of all public improvonents. Mr. DavicUon was of opinion that it was expedient to repeal the re in question, inasmuch as it was at present almost universal- ditaregsrded, and considered as an obsolete law. Better to re- al a law when fallen into disuse, than leave it upon the Statute opk a dead letter. He coitild sp^ with confidence on the dis- igard into which it had fallen, having observed several houses in jis city of late covered with sliingles ; and, U[)on the whole, he id not know why a shingle covering, with a proper wash or coat Hma, should not be ns safe as a board covering : it certainly was ueh more convenient. M«". Ta$chertau was disposed to repeal the clause in question, It he wished to know the sentiments of the inhabitants of the ci' les of Quebec and Monti-eal oii the subject, as it was a matter tirely local, and aU'ected their interests exclusively. The Ordi- ance in question, had, he presumed, l)een made with a view to imedy inconveniences, which at the time of its enactment could lly be provided for in the manner therein laid down. There was othing, therefore, that could induce him to repeal anypart of it, nleM It were the interests of those in whose favor the Ordinance id been originally made. Mr. BorfSx was not only disposed to take the subject into con- deration, out he would even go a step further. He would be ad to see some measures taken to prevent the practice of late fears adopted, of covering houses with tin and sheet iron ; a prac- ice extremely prejudicial to the human eye, by the prodigious leat and light reflected from the tin roofs in the summer season. it had also beenfound inconvnientfrom the heaps of snow which n the winter season lodged upon the roofs, and from thence some- mes fell into the streets in such masses as io endanger the lives of iple passing to and fro in tlie streets. Mr. Gugy said he was decidedly in favor of the repeal, in as uch as he did not like to be told " you shall dispose in such or ch manner of your inheritance, and if your circumstances do not irtnil you to cover your dwelling house with cosily materials you lafl not build at all." He was, however, ready to admit that gc- lerlil iiafetv rendered some restraints necessary in civilized society, t these, at least, must be obviously calculated to answer the dc- red object ; and in the present instance he would plainly show to e Committee, that the clause be wished to see repealed in com- nn with the Honorable mover, was no ways adequate to the d it had m view, namely, security against the spreading of re J for it enacted that Houses should only be covered with ards, prohibiting shingles, except for attic lights fhicames, S;c.) ow he would contend that a board covering was as combustible as ne of shingles, and much more dilltcult to clear away when expo- id to a conflagiation. While, jierinitting the lucames to be shin- gled at the same time, wss actually inviting danger instead of re- lling it, since hose peculiar constructions, the /ucarra<;$, by means if their angles and varied surfaces would at all times receive and tain the flying inflamed materials. He acknowledged tkat covering houses with sheet iron or tin, as more substantial and durable, and ^o handsomer to the eye, d he had no doubt but every wealthy ^rson would, in building, ntult his own mterest ; and calculating the durability on one sii]^ , d the reduced premium of insurance on the other* would always disposed to give a preference to metallic coveritig. Qut as (his as highly expensive, the labouring classes whc r r said, he had already hoard siiffiripnt raggnns to -ove, not Only ».he inutility, but even the vice of the clause of tlie irdinanpt imd?/ consideration , The s ubjppt was, however, siif- jWcrw.— This imT rri>cttls the 8th Clause of thp above Ordi- I ance, which forbids the covering of houaps ^p the Cities of Q.ue- I ec aiul Montreal with shingles. P flciently interesting to admit of some observations which appear- ed to him decisive. The prudiMit provisions of the Ordinance alluded to, had been attended with the best results.— The obiigatiun of keeping Chun.. nies well swept, of having buckets, and particularly tba«e stone elevations called coupe-feus, had much diminished the danver of of tires. Before the passing of tliia Ordinance, the roofing of houses adjacent aud adjoining each other, were aU connected to- ? ether.— lu case of (ire, inevitable kuiii was the consequence. )ur present situation has been materially improved, by the many additional stone buildinp;s erected since that time, and by the de- gree of security derived from Insurance Companies. — These ad- mirable Associations are' among the greatest benefits which the human mind has imagined fur Uie advancement of the civili^i-d world.— Fires and Shipwredc, those calamities which somotiinrT human foresight cannot avert, have, by their e8tal>lishment »ild operation been alleviated, and the pioident proprietor, with a small sacrifice of his revenue, may secure himself against any sudden transition from opulence to itidigeuce by these disastert. The advantages resulting from tliese Institutions are now fully felt and appreciated in Uiis ri'uviucu<— He would for a momenc suppose, tliitt shingles were more dangerous than board covering, but this even was not a sulHcient reason to prululutthe former, whcn.the securities held out by the Assurance Companies, ami the great facility and cheapness of covering with sliinglcs were considered.— It was proper to encourage and assist the middling classes— These classes asserted, that shingling was ut onco much cheaper and a more durable covering tlum boards^— Tbir in itself was some inducement, as it afforded greater facilities in the aa« quirement of property to tlie poorer classes, upon whose prospe- rity that of society in general depended — The Merchant would find it to his advantage — The 1 iwyer would have more business, and would necessarily have more advice^ good or liad, to give. The Apothecary would vend more of his drugs, without giving the Soxtoo any additional trouble, fa smile j in a word, society at large would derive more or Ivu advantage from the alturatioa proposed. With respect to tin coverings, of which he had heard an Ho- norable Member mention several ineonvoniencies without any of the advantages, they were exclusively a Canadian invention, and he was well informed that they had been imitated at Stock'> holm, Copenhagen, and in other Cities in tlie North of Europe, and they had been found the most substantial coverings hitherto used. V. S.— The fn-esoing, far from contiUning the many observa- tions made bv the Members on the subject, arc no mure than the outlines of tfie principal arguments, collected as they could bo heard from the gallery. WEDNESDAY, nth FiinvAKr. Mr. Davidson, rose to acquaint the Committee, that the pur« pose of the motion which it wa.s his inlJention to submit to tfleir consideration, was the expediency of addressing the Imperial Parliiuncnt, and praying it not to impose the duties on lumber, ai i'ltiinated by a letter from N. Lach of the 25th Feby. 1817. In supi>ort of the motion he would state the facts of the caic and confine himself simply to the (piostion, though aware that ttit» commercial relations of the I'rovince, might properly come under discussion at the present moment, but that as an opportunity would beafforded in a few days of amply, discussing them when the bill to regulate tlie inland trade, would be presented, it woul4 be well fur the present to fix the undivided attention of the House on the subject to which he alluded, as very little delay might be attended with irreparable loss to this Province. He could state that the letter containing the information, that His Majesty's Government was of opinion that an extension of duty should be laid on timber imported from British North America, equal in amount to the additional duty imposed on foreign timber in 1813, w«sno fic;tion. It was an pfflcial document, andassiioh had been duly attended to by the shipping interest of Groat Britain, and by the principal Commcrcisd Towns in England and Ireland, the whole of which reprobated 'ho measure iis unjust and impolitic. Kt.iionstrances had likewise gone home from Nova .Scotia, from Quebec and Montreal. He indeed iiold in his band the proceedings of a meeting of the Mercliants and other inhabitants of Quebec Iteld on the 10th of October lost, upon which a memorial lind been passed aud sent home, but that he felt, and be believed with reason, that strong, and well supported as these Petitions mig! t be, it was very unlikely they would receive the attention tliev merited, unless supported by the measure which he now broiiirlit forward. They .vho had at all reflected on the proposed dutv latp fhotirobertratleof this Rrovinco, "wliioh, though hew quid no| go so far a« to call the only source of itsprosperif v, lie would contend ewentiallycontributedtowai^sit. Itwas:ifact«n?tl1m(jwn th.it with theHSuala4vantagw B^rdedby the very low freighti. consequent on tbpnunjberof veswla whjcjihad fur so 4ang»beeuemp!o\vsl !| I 1 W«S$^ 23] PARL REGISTER, 58 Geo. UL'-mB.^Relaiive to Dut. nn T A on thetran.port «rvice. beln. ^..^.,y.,., .... "^^ '" ^"'^ "" LutnbeU coneern«H «--X ^^ •»> -*d a commission to the puti«« would ^.••"?fr.'»''«' .iiAUantic. The efllBcl rf Hutv ™?,^-.V*,j'2 •"""'''■'« "><- -•*«• Under tlwWthofUi«Zi J^wu^ ■""" ■"•** ''•*" MjHsnded on sawr mills and ot^ Cihi "^sirtance. That at.a ,uoment ke the priseiit,when the ftS^^e w^c,!led upon to pay an immense «.m Ibr the exlKTjJhe H ~ ^ Government, and to which the L«|ri8'«ture%iirnl«rf«l^ I iM^ilf^" '" -ctofinju^ice U, dejrife i?rf tlTadS^ If derived flora lU own Fetoiirce»-these advantages, iT h^ fi™I?^ lumW tnrfe-if It were deprived of thatTdwfui^ it^Tb^ K.mI"'"' "y "•* «'«n"°n-««"'ent, the liberality of which w^ lad so often experienced. It gave occasion to represent that the t tmn,°^'" ""^S^.^'P".'!"" "f'he BriliHh Empire were neglected, trampW upon, and sacrificed to the interests of foreigners, at one moment allies, at the next, enemies of Great Britain It gave us occasion to remind the mother country that in return tor our sa- .rfi. OS during her wars, in retu* for her monopoly of our tr.idc she owes us her protection whether in peace or in war: that if itie adopt measures iniuriniis to any branch nf r,:;r ,-.-.r,-!--- . . _■ iiuist either erroneously or by violence deliver herself to" ihc'exe"! c,M! of the ri.,l,t o( the strongest fUi-oU du plus furl J— to an act ot injustice alike opposed to her own and to our inteicsls it VMS ,K,t th.it he .■onsidercd thr luinb.T trade as Ihr most profi- t*l.U: branch ol our con.m-.Tcc.-Tlie live or six thousand band Md in UUlnit the soil H.,.'^^ '^""^"f "•"" "» P""*' ™.teri.ll, suffer bv he iJ. 7TT Pjrticulurly Qurbec, wouM unless poU3 y'jrotoct^* -f "J-, branch of trade which must f«l « which milUon, „f m^^^L v»t^ Lumber Yard., 4c. I they not have much cauTe to'cZrf.Yr otm"!!*" great-would I .ing Duties upon foreign limberl^ducJdliT"* k*''^ '". 'P'^"* Ipitals in the colonial ,? , '""°" """uced th«n, to embark their ca- ^u;s^=:^ySr.r^?'^-— ^ to export our salt provisions to favoShriri^ ,rS«.„ '"'' a policy cannot fail to ruin th« P, • j trade— So narrow a degree a, to render it in il. " ""d enfeeble it to such may^lce place wi h Amer^,a-L hTZ\ t'T" * '"^ "« Great Britain is to prefeT the baldc tirih^?' i^'" ^°'. »""'*'* »*« cured at a cheaper r^ate ila„ tha J North A "'V' """ ^ P"* it be urged that she oui-ht „„» . i. America? as wellraignt n-ifactur^ers S Ir «d Sa^s^ tht J^r^hl'"''*'^^^^ ''"'" "»- rate in Flanders-As w^l Ti^i f^'.T .'?P™«^"red at a cheaper The price of freight and of merchandize broughtTare „«««« mshe^ ;° "' '" bring ruin upon such as engage in our tradeVnkw n^^A^ u°''P"y '^""^'^ P™'^'^' •'• ^« «i«nberofftu,s".U not feUed by te arm, pf freemen, butbythosoof slaves: the prol. ty of the great and the wealthy j-^retches sold, hired, exchaifsed promiscuously with thp flocks that siupjt the farm, u^n whS ireV Se O ""^r't'"^ ""i^tence-No sucl, abomingle alu e. pre»a.lhere-Our lumber yards fire filled with aTee though labo- nous raceof men who know and Sbfain the value qf thSr Ki^ The policy of Great Britain haihithertp been more enlarged aiid has told to her advantage. The circulation of her cVSf thrsugh every part of her dominionacnriclies& strenghonshercm pire, whiie the extension of its influence to foreign naSmay tend to her disadvantage, by imparting a strength & energVto Sn^. ons which may from day ,0 day becoiSe ho^lil^h^^^ —Why should she not adopt the same policy towards her colonies, extending o/ei- the four quarter, of the globe, and rich in all the production, of nature? Let Great Britain attach them by a liberal and enlightened policy. Let her enconraee the developement of their resources, the increase of their po- pu ation and their progress in wealth, and her own pro.perity will thrive with their., who must, necesnrily con.unie her manufactures, and be tributpry to her industry. These North American colonies are pcciljarly susceptible of a degree of im- provement, which, in every point of view, render them one of the noblest appendages of the Empire. Let her learn to enquire into their true intere.ts, and she will find that ere lone; her most formidable adversary will be the American confederation. Let her know that the lame enprgy of character, the time .pint and per.everance in trsfde, the same national pride, and the same enthusiastic attachment to the polifcai institutions of their couijtry, which have constituted the might and grandeur of the British nation, characterise thp American people. They- believe themselves destined by Pcovidence for a Kreat and a powerful DeoDli>. anH. tKnnn^N i,i .K.;- :.,r-„— . .1." •■ , • '."» ' o -• —<■'}, "itrtr commer- cial navy may be considered as the second among nation*. The»o ambitious republicans are too greedy of power and conqueM not to be watched with attention by England. From what better point can she observp und more effectually curb them than from ihis quarter, whic! .1 war, can maintain her army, and in peace, become :hc channel for the introduction of her niana nbcr» C24 I] PAUL. REGISTER. BU Geo. III. ISlB.-^Relative to Dnlj/ on Lumbitr, [W ind ftefiting iitve>« icing them to puuih^ ularly Qurbec, wouW tr«de which must fail e real low which the . Lumber Yards, &e. lot to great— would inisters who in inipo- 1 to embark their ca- Iden aad unexpected l)ut be considered aa It alarming, is the in> »e us of the means of ! Imperial Parliament de of the Empire. — uJn it another— To wr, in order to gra. Jmorrow we may b« ^ to gratify the peo- *II perhaps be forbid Ji trade— So narrow i enfeeble it to such whenever « new war ^'en for granted that cause it can be pro* erica ? as well raignt raged the linen ma- rocured at a cheaper lat she ought to be ' rival her mantifac* n with the people of in affords them the ! of a season, while ir navigation aflbrd voyages to Britain, [ht us are necessa- roportionabiy dimi- n our trade unlet* timber of Ausua is ilaves : the proper- i, hired, exchanged arms upon which a{)omina|)le abuieg I free though Ij^bq- : f the globe, and eat Britain attach et her encourage ease of their po- _ own prosperity ily consume her f. These North a degree of ini- ider them one of • learn to enquire c ere long, her an confederation. raccer, the tame ioiial pride, an4 a! institiuioni of lit and grandeur n people. Thejr r • great and a , tiicif ecSiiucr- g nations. There ind conquest not roni what better > them than from •r army, and it^ n of her niana lures into America. She can, and she ought, m gammg frtendi fhe United States, to induce ihem to abandon their projects of rranditemant. To sow dirisioo among them would be base & ritUs«...Tofancy that they would again be made Bruith sub. Its is extravagant, but England may socociduct herself as to feke it the interest of the greater part of the uoion to be at peace Ith her. The State of New- York, already thf most powerful I their union, by its position, its extent, the fertility of its soil lit ntust necessarily be suKeptible of a greater iDcre.»«« than any Itbe States east of the mountains, that of Vermont, *nd a part New-England, may, ia time, become the natural -AlUes of h*t>Britain. Let her encourage the Canadian trade, and al- our export* to be freely sent to the most profitable nw. , Let duties be imposed upon such as do not immediate.'y [ue from her own Colonies. The River* Saint Lawcence and ham plain, the Chaudiere and Saint Francois, connected with -e Kennebec and Connecticut, will send to Quebec sufficient loduce to load hundreds of British Ships, which, without this blicy, will turn to the advantage of the American trade. To Im the internal commerce into their own ports, they are, at lis moment, making the most gigantic efforts, by opening ca- lls to communicate with the lakes, a project, which the sl.ght- If exertion on our part, with the natural advantajges we po»w |si would frustrate : but to make the exertion* which are re- tiitUeon our parts, we ought, *t least, to have a motive,— but J) jnotive remains to us, when we see our eommeree threetered D J>e sacrificed to the interest of Foreigners. To day our lum- : wade is ruined. The Act, which last Session, was passed for he regulation of our commetci*! relations with the neighbcur- (ig States, ha* been laid on the shelf, and, perhaps, to-mor- tw, we shall learn some other disadvantage, to which we are i submit. Is it not unworthy of English honor and the good kith of the British Government, to trifle with principles which hu already consecrawd. Was it merely because America was i arm* in 1778, that the Parliament renounced the right of ■axing? or was not this renunciation rather the triumph of that lonstitutional maxitn. which establishe., that the people shall lot be taxed otherwise than by their Represenutive* freely Elected? This right o» being taxed by only ourselves.is secured to « by our Constitutional Act i— but isthii respected by ministers, If, from ignorance of our wants, they begin to bring rum upou l»» He would certainly admit, that, for the common adraii- kage of the Empire, the Imperial Parliament had a right to re- l-uiate, even by t»xes, the commoditie* interchanged between bounty and County, Provmce and Province, but if this right vere abused, it might be asserted that by a je« «fe moU, »n unworthy subierfoge, it had reassumed the right, vhich, on a former occasion, it had solemnly renoun. Iced. Local Legislature* exi*t in aH the colonies remote Ifrom the Seat of GovemmeM, who, like so many vigilant cen- Itinels warn it of the good and the evil which the nlea^ures of iGovernment may cause to the Provinces. Let us, therefore, Ihuiiibiy hope, that our representations may ultimately meet wiih [some attention in Britain. If not ; let the people of that coun- try know, that the injustice meditated ag*««t our trade, will be exercised against fellow subjects, against men who have ex- emplified their attachment to Britain, by the effort* and sacri- fice* which they have courageously sustained during the late I war, -against men who desired more and more to be united with I them by the ties of affection and of interest, who believed them- I s»Wes the children of the same Sovereign, and who gave them- [ selves up to the pleasing error of believing themselves entitled to the equal protection of their Coverwneiit, wheiher they re- sided in London or in Quebec. Mr. Jtndrew Shiert— had not be^ aware that tosing duties upon our colonial exports, and at thrtame- time exclusively monopolised our trade, the boon held ottt' by- the 1 4th of the King was nugatory and illusive. If we are obli- ged to take iiur produce to the British markets only, and tMeO' to pay a heav)' duty upon that produce, what is it but fixing'*' price upon it, at which, probably, we cannot afford to send iiT to them, without * certain prospect of ruin to the merchant who risks his capita I in so precarious .i trade. Our trade with the mothor country is' a trade of barter, and whether taxes be imposed by the latter oi.'' our exports or imports, amount* aeariy to the same thing. The principle of taxing our trade, he thraghr^ highly impolitic, and, inc'eed, unjust. He thought it contrary to the spirit of the A*t to v'hich he had already alluded, and, he felt persuaded, that his Mi.'iesty's Ministers, upon a proper representation of the subject, \vould be induced to relinquish their intention of adopting a mo ^e of taxation which must at once be injurious to the mother v-.ountry, and ruinous to the Trade of this Province. Mr. Taiekereau made a distinction- -A* to the right of taxing her own trade, he conceived the mother country unqueMioiutbly poaaessed it— England, very legitimately, might t sut th e colonial produce, and it ought to be recollected th.tt this ^wince at the present moment even exercised the same rik*ht upon Britiah ma- nufacture* imported into and consumed In thi* Ftrovinc^ but the Expedience cf the measure he thought a veiT f*^ subject ftir discussion and it 'vas his opinion, that as Great isritain exaiMrive* ly employed the benefit of our trade, any tax th at might be th» means ol suppressing the exportation of Lumber must notonly be inpolitic in itself but by restricting the growing c omme rce n the Colony would ultimately be felt by the mother cotintry wbicb however, he felt confident would always be disposed to pay a ready attention to any proper representation from the Provine«_ on m point so essentially connected with its interests and which i» must be acknowledged ^yere at the same time inseparable Kvm- the*e of the mother country. . . j ,. Mr. Davidson's motion was unanimously earned — It was therefore resolved accordingly— A Committee of five Mnnbert- were appointed to draw up an Address to the Imperial Farlt». "*"'* MONDAY, 16th FisacAKT, 1818. In Committee of the whole House on the State of the Infe- rior District of Gasp6. Mr. Cockburn moved to resolve as the opinion of the Commit- tee, that it is expedient that Comi.ussioners be appointed to in- vestigate the Claims of Inhabitanw and others, to Lands in the Inferior District of Gaspfe. Mr. Taiekereau observed, that the subject submitted to the consideration of the Committee was of much grcatermoment thanwaaeenerallyunderstood-rltrelatedtothe interests of no inconsiderable a portion of this Province, and indeed, in a com- mercial point of view, the mo»t important pomt of Lower Cma- da, but which hitherto, hpd been so ftr no|flected as to be almost unknown.— He considered the Innmor . da, but which hitherto, hpd been so ft» "•te.«='«?*f« /"Jf^" unknown.-He considered the InH"^"?"^' f .^iw.. District of the utmostluiportance to the Fishcnea of «« ™- vince, which, by the indifference of our Merchants, had Keen moSSpoHsed by the Trpders of the neighbouring Provinm, who had enriched themselve,* by the lucrative «^« .'*»»f.'V **y,,,^S^ enabled to carry on by 'he product ofourFisl«3'ie|Nwth the West Indias, which might, with respect to '^e Cr^A^fc be -aij to>- slm-vt* rTrhi5volv in the hands of the Merchants ofNovrSccJm'whoseentc^ze was noifar »,"«»,'^, '° "|,^ of the Americans. The !•»« h»*. •«»«^ '"**iSll^if ri'^i^ from the Gulf, which by its relative posiUon. •«"-d«^"* ">• S^TtestfacilitiMfor earning on the Firiiene*. on our ownac- count. lil SSBSS^BSEE"^ S^.'^SSKS^^ m If i ? [' ■ ' It t h 87] PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. ISlS.-^State ofJnfer'm tiUtrkt qf Gm^L Jf Uiere were no other motive for t»king the state of the Dis- trict of Oaapi intocoMideratlon than for the purpoi* o» (liidiiig ^««»i M *fc._ -...»..»^..« ui.,B« tf 'i^tv ufhij'h uni^t! the Stciuii [8S employ for 'the numerous Kiver Craft, M^hich since the iitcaiai Boat Navigation, have become useless, he tliought the wteiiuon of tha Huuie would not be improperly occupied ou the present subject i'hera were perhaps, at this moment, upwards of a hun- dred smali vessels entirely out of service, and where could they be more iit«fully occupied than at the Fisheries in tjie Gulf ?— These at once affbrded our Mcrchanu an opportunity of entering into a lucrative Commerce, euiployed our vesels, and would prove a nursery for Seamen. „ . ^ . He observed, that the Agri'^ultural IntereiU o\ that Dutrict urgently odied fur immediate relief. The situation, the soil and climate of that portiuu of the Proviure, was represented, by per- sons upon whom he could depend, as excellent ; large tracu had already baen settled upon and cleared ; and the ground had been found to be every way productive, and the Country ll> general peculiarly adapted to AgricultUi-c and for the Locution of Set- tlen and Emigrants, who, It might naturally be expected, would cro.trd in upon us, if suitable spoU were appropriated for them, and he contended, thm in no part of the Canadas could poor Settlers establish themselves to such advantage, as in (he neigh- bourhood ot the Sea, where the Fisheries would materially con- tribute to their subsistence, until the grounds were sulfidently cleared to raise com. Members would perhaps learn with surprise, that the small progress experienced by Agricu.ture in that District, hud been solely owing to a want of attention by the Legislature to its interests. 'He was confident of being correct i.i asserting, that there was not a single individual in the wbole District who iield a legal tide to hir lands, other than that oi occupancy.— The delay which had unaccountably taken place in giving titles to the Set- tlers in those partsThad almost toially discouraged the people who had spent their yotiths in preparing farms, which by fraud or i». trigue might be wrested from theDS.~It could not be expected that they could labour with cbeerfulneesin the improvement of property, of the enjoyment of which they were uncertain, and which might be hereafter talcen from their cliildren. — This cii-cuinstance alunc kad been ra discoaraging to many inhabitants in that District, that th«y had aban4oiuxl tneir possessions and gone elsewhere, and unlew some speedy and eCTectual measures were pursued to secure the industrious people Of that district, in the enjoyment of their lands, it would be nh surprisine event if the whole Dis- trict ware io the course of a few years depopulated. It could not be.prestuned, that while things remained in the same state, new Settler* would underiak'e to make any improvements in those parts. He believed, the chief difficulty which h.id hitherto pre- vented Government fixnn issuing their titles, was the competition of claims fnun several persons to the same iands in that District ; and that the Government had purposely withheld them until le- gislative provision were made, with a view to avoid any invo- luntary wrongs which individuals might sustain on the psurt of the Gtovemment, ftom a want of some previous investigation of theiir pretensions, TTieir principal grievances consisted in a want of title to their lands, and in the want of a more efficient organization in their Judiciairy System, which he felt himself justifiable in particularly obsorving, as his information in this respect had been derived from the respectable person entrusted with the administration of Justice in that District. — A remedy fur tliesc evils was sought for by the inhabitants of Gaspc, and they sought it as a matter of right firomthe L^islature,— not as a iiavor. A Statistical Account hadbecn shewn liim of the ilevenues annually arising from the Trade of that Country, which, hmited as it was, afli^ed a sum of about fourteen hundred pounds currency, and which, after paying the whole amount of its own civil expence, (say seven hundred pounds annuallO leaves a balance of about seven hun- dred poiutds in favor ut Gasp4 and which he understood, had been accumulating for some years, and actually amounted to se- veral thousand pounds.— 'Supposing then, that the population ot the District in question ami^unted to five tliousand souls, who^ if poor, as they necessarily must be, under their present disadvan- tages, con anord to pay a revenue so considerable, what would tl^yaSbird with Draper encouragement and protection from the L.^gi9lature ? He thought the subject required immediiUe consi- deration, and the more so, as it had beeo thought by His Excel- lency the Ooveroor in Chief, whose vigilance and solicitude for th9 mneral welfare of the IVovince was so well understood as to require no comment, a matter deserving the attention of the L^is- lature. The hon. mover, (Mr. Cockburn) contemplated the esiiib. lishment of a board of Commissioners to ascertain the pretensions AMJl Ml-iM«a M^ nA»aAr.a *4\ lanfia in »liMi fkio*.-.!. hh^I. n .tt«.» t^C ..^ porting the same to Government, in order thtt occupants and clai- mants might speedily obuln their Titles ; and as far an he had been able to colFtict, from penun* iatereited in that District, thir measure appeared to be in conformity with Ih 5 general tenie of the Inhabitants. If, however, any other mode of obv<«lfng the evn ootti. plained of, should, in the course of the present session bedeviled, more conducive to the purposes to which thestten^ion of the House was then directed, he would most cheerAilly concur with those wl o initfht feel disposed to promote an object which he really conceived to be of much Importance, not only to the District in question, but to the Province «t Urge. Mr. Tejchetmu, In coociuding, made some further ofcsenraUons on the expediency of making some a. mendmenu is the Judicature Acl, as far as it regarded Gsip^, which, he said, had been found to be attended with much inconvc. oience in that District. .Mr. Dttwdtnn had not hithwto felt himself sufficiently acmiain. tod wiil, the local intcrwto of GaspA to address hlmiilf to the House on the sulgect^He had however, a knowledm that the tahenes were carried on to a con»ideraUle extent in that district. Olid he beaevod, thotwitbsome attention from the Lea-islaiurc i^'nL™'^! ^T *" °^.' «**■ ^'"T great importsnce to the Pro- i.'i?.::7l ""^ '^■"u*''r'J-"'? '"fo^ned, that those Commercial Lsublishments which iiad been carried on in the Bay of Cha. leurs and Oasp6, had been found advantageous to the Merchanu concemed-rfe menUoned Mess. Charl« Robin. & Co. whVftr many years past had carried on business in the District of Gaspt on a very extensive and profltaUascale.^It ceruinly was hiS time that something should be done for Gaspi, and he could on- ly account for the seeming neglect which it bod hitherto experi- enced, by Its remoteness from the capital, and the difficulty of obtaining that plenary information on the nature of its local and commercial necessities, which the Legislature had a rirfit to ex. pect, previous to the adoption of measure* with reli^on to the District in question — He now had learnt for the fint tim% the extraordinary fact, that the whole of the inhabitanU of Gaspi were without title* to their land*— this in itsel*", he conceived to be sufficient to retard the progress of Improvements of every de- scription in that district. Security of property, was the givatcst, and perhaps the only stimulant to all human industry, for where was the man who Would labour with checriulness and spirit in the improvement of a Farm in the possession of which ho did not feci himself perfectly secure— He most vriilingly would concur with the Hon. Afember, in promoting the la>idal>le purposes of the measure which he had just now introduced. Mr. CocUmm, (for Gasp*) said, he bad, formerly, had an op- portunity of acquainting himself with the locality of the county he had the honor to represent, and he could coniidently slate to the committee, that the district and county of Gaipe, contained a great quantity of excellent land, and that th« agricultural capacity of the District, was not inferior to that of any part of Lower-Canada. The great disadvantages under which the Inhabitants were placed had however the eflect of retarding the general improvement of the District, which unless some remedy were speedily adopted, would in the course of a few years dwindle to nothing. He himself knew to a certainty that some families had recently abandoned the Di*. trict from the discouraging circumstances under which It was pla- ced, he had been induced to bring forward the present measure from a thorough conviction of its expediency, and he was glad to find that Members had taken so liberal a view of the situation and wants of bis constituents. The motion was accordingly adopted, and the committee having repotted, Mr. Cockburn moved for leave to introduce a Bill " Jbr appointing Comrni$rioncrs to investigate the claims 9j PAl as soon afier tl I'comr coniplica itcrest vested bj cnt claimants, 1 i.inicd to the oot I chain of intern fitlfs however, unlcd but as an i|Uitalle nntiwf, I. The eXdinina lands in Gasp jf I'orninissionci iiipport. The n fully contribute t irict. had long t On the expcdi ng rnd finlshinfi would not occup ved thnt matter ' ;ial Committee, factory iiiforniati notice of the ins in the Dibtrict o Provincisl Coui mm i)f Twenty ; that the nbnve 1 The Petitioner (hat Distriei, lie sentation derive< they were, in p the proposed aU( the district of Oi niiy!it.bes:iid,syr; ill the latter capi for vvliich they p for a moment to till" resident in tl at Quebec, it w in respect to t niedy aflonlfcd ol riousdiscourajjei lime he had attei mstitnces of Lit' and was to led in titloncrs have dt of Litifjation, li of moral habits, for to his knowl these, wore, nev :ion of law suit: lie prosperity, i ronconriitant on just 111 the same idal>le purposes of d. ormerly, had an op> lity of the county he liidently sute to the p«, contained a great turol ctpaoity of the Lower-Canada. The It* were placed had improvement of the ly adopted, would in He himself knew abandoned the Dis. er which It was pU- hc present meaHure f, and he was glad ew of the situation le committee having > introduce a Bill the claims qf per- i, and .0 tecurethe iment nf the same, d for the first time. tiee be instructed to liicature Act, ai far learned member for ire being niwh pro- tbb House, to tna- I of persons to Iannis long deferri>d, and y much retarded the il ndvaniages, Urtb claims in question, e Certificate* whicli m PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. ISlS.—State of Inftrkr District of Gaspi. [SO ■ as soon after the t' rminntion of the American *ar, in 1 783, had (•come complicated, inasmuch ns many transfers of the original iterest vested by certittcates liiul taken place, ami many ol the pre- ent claimants, are either dc»cenileiit'> from the nominees or jKirsons i.mied to the ooeupancy therehy, or connected with them tlirnuf{li 1 chain of intermediate purchasers. In the legal interprelation of Titles however, strictly taken, not one of these persons can be re- [iiriled but as an occupant, although in every consideration of on :iiuitalle nntitfe.that possession must attach the idea of property to t. The exumination of the great number of such derivative claims lands in Guspe, can only be made cHijctuaJly through the medium )f l"onunissioncrs,and ho should, therefore jjive that plan his cordial iiipport. The measure would be u salutory one, and would powcr- (illy contribute to rftiice the melancholy impression which inthatdis- rict. had long taken place, that it was both remote uiid neglected. On the expediency of granting further supplies for the coniplet- ng rnd finishing the Gaol and Court-Hull at New-Carlisle, lie would not occupy the time of the House at present, for, he belie, fed that matter would more properly Ix-come the enquiry of a Spe- •ial Committee, which he hud no doubt, should receive every sntis- flctory information as to the same. He was led, he said, fo iake notice of the insonveiiiencies complained of by I'etitioriers residing n the Dibtrict of Gnspe, for want of snflicient Jurisdiction of the provincial Court, the cognizance of which was restricted to the lum of Twenty pounds sterling. He bad no doubt in his miml but that the above representation of inconvenience was well founded. The Petitioners were of the most re8|)eclable desciiptio.i in that Distriei, l)eing actually in the Magistracy, so that their repre- sentation deriveil credibility i'roiii that circumstance, but, In fact, they were, in point of interest, deeply concerned in the event of the proposed alteration of the Judicature Act. As far as regarded the district of Guspe, the words Magistrate and Merchant were, it mig!it.besaid,svnonvmousorlnconvcrtible terms in that district.aiid ill the Intter capaeity, they had no doubt, fully experienced the evil for which they prayed a Icf-islative remedy. If we, indeed, attend for a moment to the history of a suit at law, instituted by a Plain- tiff resident in the dihtriet of Gaspe, in the Court of King's Bench at Quebec, it will be plainly seen that the remote situation of these in respect to each other, must render nugatory the legal rt- niedy uflonltd at thcktterplace.and must inevitably operate nsa se- riouidiscoura'-cment to creditors making their.just demands.For the lime he had attended at the Bar of Quebeche had witnessed but few instances of Litigation there.origiiiating from the district of Gaspe, and was to led impute the circumstance to the same cause as the Pe- titioners have done, and not to want of business thi-rc. The absence of Litigation, he was aware, might be also imputed to the influence of moral habits, as well as to the existence of trade and population, for to his knowledge, some parts of the Province on a parity as to these, wore, nevertheless, widely dilierentiii respcc to the produc- jionoflaw suits. Dtigation, however, is as often a test of pub lie prosprritv, and mav be regarded as one of the evils naturally roiKomitant on an eiicreasing co.rmeree oiid population, and il,ing iust III the same proportion, or, perlinps, a greater one. The detail of a Suit at l.aw in the Court of King's Bench at Quebec, be- twixt parties resident in the district of Gaspe, will clearly shew how much the dincrcnt proceedings, which must take place, must be injuriously delayed, by the great distance of the District from Quebec. In the first place, the party living in the district of Gas- 1)6, and desirous of suing another inhabitant there, in the Court of King's Bench at Quebec, must attend for that purpose, or send up instructions to a Counsel or Attorney, to sue out and transmit to theShcriirof Gaspe, for sernce, a summons, which, by the Judicature Act, can only be returned in the terms of June or October. The summons served is next returned, the partis t!ien -ome to join issue, and a commission is sucii out direclwl to the Provincial Judge of Gaspe, to take the .leposition of the witnesses living there, and this is transmitted, executed and returned. Ihen follows Judgment Olid Execution, to be sued out and transmitted to .he Sheriff of Gasp^, who levies and makes his return to the Court at Quebec. Here are, therefore, no less than six different proceedings, each of them subject to the delay of a pa«a>£e oe twixt Quebec and the District of Gasp^, and when the distance the most direct may be from 450 to 700 milev the »f : smg of a suit « law, may eWeud to several thouiand miles, ....nout speaking of the circuities occasioned by storms ind tempesti, or ilie total (ailure of .» conveyance, by shipwreck. How many at- ieiid.utce» iheii at ^Juebcc by the parties I what ttdiou» dtUyS from year to year by the length, the uecsrtainty, & the rii-kk of the conveyances! All producrivo of great rxpence and often personal misery. Thit change of the Judlcaiure Act lO far as It regard* the District of Ga»pf , by enlarging the Juris, diction of the I'rovincial Couri: to the sum of Si»fy pounds sfer- lin)!, with an appeal to the Court of King's Bench at f^u^bec, in all c ises where the sum may esceed Twenty pounds sterling, wa«, therefore, in his opinion, of the most urgent expedience, which, while it would liave the advantage of removing ail the diflitultiet at present incident to neces>ary litigation, would not, in fact, operate much to extend the power* of the Provin- cial Judge, incases of equal or greater importance, for it must he remembered that, where witn»»-e» in a cause reside in the District of Gjip^, they are not required by the Court of King s Bench to attend at yutbec, but they are examiiird in the Dis- trict where resdrnt by ilie Provn.cial Judge, by virtue of a writ of commiition regateire, and upon wh»se reception of ev!- ilci ce III tliB cause, the Court of King's Bench pronounce'. Judjj- iiieni. No doubt, from the udojition of such mca-sure* for tlie welfare of the District »i' Gaspe' as propo.scd by the two iiist cases of the Gaul and Court Hall, and thu nppoiiitinciit of CommisKiuiiers tu investigate all claims to LaiulH to be considered by the House, there would aiisc jiccuniary demaiids, but he was hnjipy to state, that from the information he had been cnublem 15 to 18.000 gallons of tod Fish Oil. In the course of the r.?;°^i't.".n:: "■^'-^^'l-rt of the Population orG.^K"u,^e yvk L" !.• *<*« '".'•■•i'''' «r« ""«h as ,,000 bara^s, wishing monKilh»Ji ^. ^^ """'y "♦ ""•• !«••"""» «nip!oye'-'^ ashoreln'Lhng tie G^fe -m hence tLXXc or Hii^^T'K".?'""^'^'' '" ''«' '^"^strng from the rcmiUnW D^ of ^«I^' ''^ ".l" ""''y'"^ '» 'he.* n.arkets me remaining part of the above produce sent out of the District. rOPULATION. SOIL AND CLIMATE. lion, and also the tractTetwTxt £ Nouvel^^ar pi'!^ '1^?'^ I about seventeen miies in lemrth Th„^-!I .• " DanieJ, KEVENUE AND EXPENDITUllE Gaspe Harbour for the other parts of the DiitrivV V.!^ """^"^f arriving and entering with the^D^putV Cottrtare f^m''^'" rope and Halifax, and bring to thWiUrta^omMkouam"" ty of duiable commodities ; but it may !,ere be obse "ed tliat In •xportauon of produce is made tc Quebec and afim.rnfi ^ 'Quihe'c w impoA^uionr'^d ri?e%;nL'mBrn tZf"!'.'"^ "' nmpi^Uo{Ga.f,6, the Hevenue rrt^^Z^roSrv.te L" coming from thence, and must be ad« Deputy Col. S 1 5 a.lSl'E H.1RD0UR COLLECTION, Years 1. Collected in 1«1« and sclllea for in 1813 . . . ^^jj, -'. Do. 1813 do. '8'4 377 3. Do. 181. -J do, 181C, .... „7 The above were noted from the Custom. House Books of the Port of Quebec. 4. Collected in 1H14 and settled for III 1815, not known, the Custom- 1 louse Uooksbeing before the Kxecutivr Couiw til, but it is supposed that without any io■ ytars, must have yielded less or more 1 so In 181.5 there was cleared out from the Port of 'Quebec, for the District u* Gaspe, say CO schooners, from 30 to 90 tons, the above uuniber includ- ing two or three for Cape Chat, th,i east part of which settlement is in the above District, and it is calculated that on an average they must have carried with them dutiable coniinoditits, each, say, yielding an amount of Duty at the port of Quebec, to the extent of ^£10 currency, which forms, conscijuently, a yearly revenue of ^600 currency, and for the siwce of the last (5 years, ^J600 2* —42454 11 I EXPENDITURJ. The Civil List as peculiar to the Pistritt of Gaspe. by the payment of the Salaries of Officers discharyiiig lo- cal duties : ProvinmlJudge, . =£400 Sterling. >-lerfc ol the Courts of Jus. *■ tice. Salary and CLntingcu- Sheriff, . . ^ 85 Grand Voyer, - .4/; School iUaster at New-Car- I'le, .... 45 »e649 -sfseeg o h l33] PARL. REGISTER. 58 Geo. III. 1818 — Health of the (imnttor in Chief. (;34 39 09 I 7 1 7 ■-"— XxiJ'l d U CTION. 3 2* I 5 llj 1 7 «4 7 «i 13 1.T «1 — 12454 11 Amount brought forward £etOQ Add I -9th to reduce into Currency, - - 71 9 9| Currency, Multiply by 6 1^711 2 6 E«p«nd«d theUntrs yoan, itiMUAfi l.l -I To the nbovc may b« RtUled a Kaliiry to an I Officer during tour yearn of the oho»o pcrliKl, Iw' os« duly it wnsto actnd with the J I'ishwy Acta, expiring nearly two yearn a- I Add alw one year's salary eiven ta a late llnKtitution of the office or School- Maater I at Douglas Town, in Gaspi Bay, but which hiM been for some time vacant Cury. 940 SO I Official Establishment for the laat 6 years ^4536 13 Grants of Money for the New ('arlisle I Gaol and Court lluU at New CarllsUi eit- l>eiidcd - - iiilOO I'art of the Grant for the Gaol I ft Court Hull at Perec, in mak- ing a Road, preparinf{»he lot for for a Scite, &c. — has been expen- ded nearly - - 90 2190 «726 13 3 =£1942 7 3 Surplus from the District of Gasp£ in the Inst Kix years, remaining unappropriated for its bcno- SUMMARY DEDUCTION. That the avemjfe Income of the District of (»n«pc by the con- sumption of Dutuible Commodities pnyin{? cither at the Quebec Custom Ilotisc, or atthp Deputy Cillectoni' Custom Houses in the District, calculated on the supposed Hoturns of six years pre- ^1444 16 lOi 711 2 2^ ceding this date, is That the present Annual Expenditure, by the payment of its OIBcers locally residing, is Surplus yearly i£733 14 8J That the District of Gasp6, after defraying by the Revenue it affords tl)c Salaries of Officers locally residing, and discharging Duties to the Provincial Government, and also the expence hitherto incur* red by the GaoLs and Cotirt Halls to be established therein, appears at the end of the last six years to have yielded a surplus of - - i'1942 6 3 MONDAY, 2^d. Fkbroary, 1818. State of His Excellency's health. Mr. Sftahr — acquainted the House thathe had just received from the hands of Mr. Secretary Coihr»i), a Letter from the medical Gentlemen attending upon hi* Excellency the Go- vernor in Chief, which he conceived it bit duty to communi- cate to the House. The Letter is ai follows : As we consider it of public iiiiportance that an Official Com- munication should be made to you upon the subject of His Ex- cellency the Governor in Chief's Health, we beg leave to lay before you the following Statement :— That His Excellency s Health'lias considerably improved, but that it %vill be necessa- ry fur its perfect re-establishment, that his return to public bu- siness be as gradual as possible, and for the present that he should be relieved as far as pfacticable, from attention to matters of importance, consequently an early termination of the present Session of the Provincial Parliament is, in our opinion, most earnestly to be desired i)8 a mea^Mre esMiitially n^essary to His Excellency's recovery. (Signed) J. WRIGHT, M. D. W. HACXET, M. D. Mr. Gugif seconded by Mr. Tachtnau moved that the uttd Letter be referred to a Special Committee of five Members 10 ubiain the most ampic infortBation ci the stats of His Eicellency's health, and to report the tame \ylth all convenient ■peed wfto power to seiid for persot)!). ' '' Mr. Ogin tiiA, he considered tht proceeding an extremely lingular one, as it appeared by the Letter ^hat Hit Excellency was much better, • circumstance grtlifymg to Member! who had biiiformly evincad the most iniious solicitude for the situation ot Hi) Eictllancy's health, and now that Hit Cicelleney iva« fait recovering it was propo^ to enquire iota the state of hii health. He (Mr. 0.) thought that previous i» the adoption of luch a meaiure the Honorable OenilfrMin for St. Miurice, ought to explaiu tlie reasons which luduced him ti» propoM it, Mr. Quiji explained— that there had been rumours of a prorogation, and it was to let sech rumours at rest that he wished the investigation i he considered the Letter from Hi* Excellency's Phyticiao* as a luflicieat fouadatioD for it aid therefore should perijit. Mr. OfrfM said, he was very far from thinking the Letter a sufficient foundation fcr such an enquiry. Part of the Letter he conceived to be an innult to the House and regret* ted much that Mr. Speaker after reading it had not laid it aside, so that it might nut appear on the Journals of the Houi* ; he said that if it was permitted to two medical Ceniletven, to dictate to the House in the terms contained in that Latter it would be admitting as a precedent, that any Individuals in the Society might do the same, and that the House might be entertained from day to day with similar dittaUi through the Channel of the Spvakor of that House ; in fact jt would be admitiog that all the Private Correspundems of the Speaker, were entitled to a page in our Juuriuli, The Honorable Mem- ber from St. Maurice, ought not to attend to idle rumour* of a Prorogation. He (Mr. J) had also heard it, but neither proro);ation nor ditiglution ever alarmed him so long as ()e was satisfied he did his duty on that floor. If the House were diipoied to institute the enquiry he would be extremely hap- py to unite in it, but that it should emanate from the House, and not from the order of the Medical Gentlemen in ques- tion i with that vi«vv he vvould propose in amendment to M (lUgy's motion, '* that a Special Copimittee of five Membf " should be appointed to obtain the must ample informatiofk " upon the ftate of Hia Excellency's health." He acknowled* ged it appeared to him rather late in the day to nLike the en- quiry as Hi« Etceliency had been inditpoied nearly 'i weeks, and was now recovering. Mr. TaukerfaH wa* of opinion that the principal motion ought to be acceded to, that the Letter was the best aud otily fuundatioii for the enquiry. Mr. Borgia was not disposed to acquiesce in either. He saw no nece^ity for the (enquiry. He agreed with the Honorable Member from ' hree Rivers, that the Speaker had betted have laid by the Letter, or have put it into his pocket, but chat if any motion was to be made he should be induced to adopt one which should bring the two Medical Gentlemen to the Bar of that House to answer for their temerity, and that if no body else made it, he would. The Question being then put the Home divided for Mr. Ogdtnt motion 6 against it 17 for the principal niotipo IQ against it 12 Mr. Borgia, moved that the ' letter communicated to the House by Mr. Speaker be tixpun^ed from the Journlils, and th'ae the said letter be re'|^ri)ed to the Speaker. Mr. Sfieaier refused to receive the motion as it was not usual to correct the Journals until they were read on the following day. ' • '. Mr. Borgia, appealed from the dectiion of the Chair. For the Speaker's decision 17 Against it 3 Mr. Borgia then moved, seconded by Mr. Ogdin^ that the conientsof the I^etter communicated by Mr. Speaker to this Htstisc, vras ±u iii'rnigiccst sf the rights sad pri-:icgc« of this HoHie. The Housr again divided. for the motion 9 against ic 13 ( 1 I SS] PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. in. ISlS.^.Vismire from th Govnnor in Cfiirf. [86 :--jp TUESDAY. a4tb. Th« Hour* remaiiwd with cloMddoori iluring four huuri. Shortly after, dm Uiillcrita w«rc filled, Mr. OgJim, rotr ana uid, llut nutwiih«tiiidiii||; he hid *uccc«dcd in hjviriK tha Letter axpungrd frum the Journal! of that ^luUie, a letter which m*» colculaied :f it had remained there, to endanger not nnly the right! and privilege*, '^ut iti wuty eiii- tenca, he felt it a duty incumbent on eytry N!«nib«r of tilv Hou!a to KO iitill furilier, Tht mure he heard and thuuitht nf that Letter the more he had room to !Uipect-~he wa« diipo potcd to lift the matter to the bniiom— lu aicertain whenco it originatid. There wa! a lomil/iiKg multrini which he wj» ontioiia to bring to lighr, that luipicioni iliould be leC at rett and the guilty puniilied. Mr. O^/f/i thmi moved, " that a Committee of (Ive Mem- " btr!, be appointed to inquire if any improper or undue iiiflu " ence w»i m;ido uie of lonbtair. the info'iiiatiun givm to and •• dcliverid by the Speaker of thii Houjb yeilerdjy rrlatmg to " the health of Hij £xcfllency the Governor in Chi.f, and " if apiy, to report by whom with all convenient »peed, with " j)owiT to lend for perioni and paper*. Mr. Tucihtrcau obierved ih:it the Honorable Oentieman from Three Riven ought certainly to be satisfied that the l.rttir had been expunged. It wan certainly taking up too much ol the time of the Houte, with a mattor which appeared to him nf little moment, and ho hoped he would withdraw it. Mr. Ojfdttt was far from thinking that he oiighr to withdraw hi« motion, every moment cimfirnied hi* !u; it first t ■ have rcf:o!ved whether it wore expedient to g.n- ( •■> i?'-- ,/it' ■ naming the sum. The estimates might then have I ■'-,•; t I< ! «; .n order to a'^ cer- tain what were the difficulties whi; ,)rts...;twl themselves.— This would, most probably have aSbnk d ample motives for a call of the House, and have justifled them in resorting to a intfasurc for 1 wiiich, at this muiViuiii, he did notsie any urgent necessity, and which certainly would put the Members at a distance to \et\ great inconvenience. Mr. Davidson observed, that he had consiiiored llic question as proposed in the first instance. m(;ro!v to npi'ly to the necessity w 1 •xprriienry of a rail nf the niiiHcfnr (he Nth Initnnt, but that ntii of that liuJ arisen aonie dilialri or rathrr eonvemullon on the iiiij. mates and accooats which had Juat been received. In Ui« i|U4'iiiioii ai proposed, he was of npinioii, that ihi' ineniiire win uniieiciaary. I'lieru niM lui new mati«r |>ro|Hiii'd— It was only what every AleinlR-r had been aulhoiUed to e«pe«'t since tho commencement of the .Scskioii, and to put olf the consideiution ul' the Kstimalti until .ifter the ilth, which iiiusl fol;ow if the uicaaute is currii'd, would tend, iiiiiiei'V^is.U'iiy, lu |>roloiig the Seskton.— The Kmi- matus wvru not the very mighty matter which Members miglil expect from what had bi'en just kuid— The House wui iiulcidTcd iipm- Residents, on which some steps iiinst certain- ly be tukcn.— He had felt himself called upon tos|ieukoit asiib- jcct by no means connecied with the question, and what lie said on the subject had been prompted by tlut rviloction of the inw men* only. Mr. Oii/f;i— expressed liis siirpri/c, that at a moment, whe'i i DocMMieiit of Nucli moment us the Civil List was submitted li> the House, that Members could (juestioiitheexpedicncy of a ('nil of the House. — Perhaps, Members averse to the motion, might luive had the a(lvuiilaj;e of discussing the List liefore it bad uomu to the House, and alter canvassing llic subject, had already mado up their minds upon it — He, (.Mr. () ) hud not had the same ud- yunf.ige —It was not to be supposed, that the House would bo infliiciiccilriy ih.^sc to whom he ulhiiled— 'He, for one, would not he UsI, and he trusted. Members would insist ujion a (.'all of tho House, as thf only fair nioaiis of taking up thesiiliject in earnest. —An Hon. Membei' had teniied it a measure of violence, and that at least tv\eiity-f,>ur hours notice of the motion ought to have been given.— I'liat it might l;o ntlindedwiih great inconvenience and that so)ue .MemlK-rs were absent from illness — these argu- ments he thought quite unsHtislUctory. — The Civil List was, lie said, a m.ittei- of the utmost importance, and one which well deserved the united attention of every .Member of that Ilouse He did not intend to cast any censure upon absent MMnSer.s but It must appear singular, that out of fifty, there were Init twenty- two present. — CJpon tho score of personal incDiivenienre, he, ( 'Mr. O.) had as good cause toeomplain as any .Member of that Ilouse, hut pei;Fonal iiiconvenieiue he considered to he no e.<- eiise for absence, particularly ujKm the present occ.iaion Gen- tlemen who found the charge of attending to their J.egislativo Duties inc.iiuvnifiil, ought not to accept of theni'— Members who were present ought, in justice to the Province, to feel it a duly to call the absent flleiiibers, whose talents ui'd inloim.ition w ere never more e.sj^entially iiecev .iry than uiHiil the prevent occasion. Mr. Ciiiiltii-r ohforved, that he w.is not of opinion that the House was simply called upon to tnke the List, and not to makr it. The Civil List now beloiigeil to the Province, and could not be withdrawn . 1 le could not iigive '■. itii Mtinbers (bat it whs to bo taken ()i ;;/ii/"i, without e>iniiiiii! |i :le' iib, v-'ichmust hcpre- sum''d have even been understood by tJovciH leiit, as they hnd sent ill the account tletailing the lUnr ri;' t'* ■ several Odi' •• * employed throughout the Itov' I . "' ;i'\ c.it "gitc he was dis- posed to scrutinize with the iitmosi .11 iciiicss, and strike off all those pensions and sinecures w hich were the fruits of corruption in the ^lother Country, and which in a Colony he considered as a most scandalous abuse. It was motivesof economy, (he w as not so sim- ple as to attribute it to a sense of justice) that induced the Mother Country to confer upon the Prcjvince the (,'ivil List, ond he thought the Province could not pursue a more l.iudable jwiicy than that which the Mother Country was on the eve of ado]i(ilig, namely, relTcndivicnt. He had no idea of feeding ii flock of idle place- men, vUio da.sh about our streets, and manifest no other sentiment than contempt for the people who keep them from starving. It v.as high time to bring them to a traesense of their intrinsic impor- tance — He however, would not, fortbopiescnt, enter into the de- tails of the List, as he should at a future day, take an opportunity of amply dismssing it— Hf. ioiendcd !o be"in wftii the to*» oT the list, and from the Ciovernors"s Salary down to the last Officer, he would strictly investigate every one vvithuut exception* (Hers some oiie said— go on — go atuj — Ve-s he said, be would go on, and see why the Province was to be exclusively saddled .with the Salary of tho Goveruor Cienerai of BritisU N'ortli Aiucriea.-- 57] PAl ThiU tlM Ptovl •dmli—tnittiM Chief ihouia anawer for it* i thing like a W mrveillancit « neral, ihuuld OH, but he « would come queition luiOc wai irquiiu* l'rovinc«», and trrfni}Mrfiian( nient. TheK be well and il nf the nitMuri the abifntcci I had recently il ought to be p< Utsnn for theii it highly exp* previuui tn in m, itnl andfi ^ Ir. r..;t/il H..itse, an It Wat the pro paid and vigil: Mr. Tatcfiet House was lu tended to proU He thought th Members, witl With regard much iinportai but oppose th ^rniindR he hi Member oppos moct cxtraordii Excellency 'h« num ti'OiM ttui in Chief. [86 li Inttniit, bul (hut nut vpraiitlun nil ihi* nli. yril. In ilw i|uftiiiin iiirt! will iiniKM'catiirv. m mily whjit every thu coininviicrinviit ion uf thu K«tiinntt'it ! iiiMiure IS carrivit, Si'ttton — 'I'hf h'.tKx- ich MDinbcrH luiglit loU.W »IU IIUl CillU'll tliiit ill cuiiiiiliitnc'M hod icukun to bvllc^u Itl IIU IHThdll H.MI to tiHiil, ihut the Acti rvKiJi'ctoU tlif kuin* iiii'.ii'iit, tllcy would L|it'ii(iituri- itliuulU If ilurKttxxl, that if on a Kutiiiiati'H, luiy thing t'w luithiiijj to ]fte' 'ivtij to bu a CoiiKti- — Thv same would >Av\is must coi'Uiit- II to NIK'Uil Olt Ukllb- I, uiiil wbut ho Mid lioctioii of the iiitf. a moiticnr, nhpii ; Hjifi Mil>iniito(l i.> .'xpcdiciicyul'a Call thu iiiution, iiiij{ht I bc'I'oi'b it bad voiiiv t, hud itlrcady iiiudo lot hod till- snmc uU- u IIoii.se would bo , tor (iiie, wnuld not : u|ioii n Call of the lesiilijott ini'iiincsf. if violcnix', niid thikt ion ou;;lit to have treat inoomcniciici! UiiL'ss— tlu'so argt!- Civil Lifil was, lie id »inc which well cr of that Iloiisi' — isciit MemSvi's, bul 1" were but twenty- incDiivuiiipnce, be, iiy .Aleiubir of that dercd lo be no ex- iil Dfc'.ibioii Geii- their jA'^islativc f them.— Mcnibrrs oviiice, to feel it a ilM ui'd infiiimatioii uiHiu the prevent f opinion that the it, and not to makr nee, and cdiild not ci'slhat it v.iisto bo v' iehinuf.f be pre- leiit, as tlicy ("id ■ several Oii; ■• . i^itc he was dis- itl strike off all those f torniption in the Diiiiidered as a most (he was not so sim- iiduccdtbe Mother '■ist, nndhetliou{^h» lie jxjiicy than that adojitinp, namely, Sock of idle jilaee- noothei' sentiment froiii s;;ir\in^. it eir intrinsic inipor- t, enter intothedc- ake an opportunity in M'itii the lo*» of 1 to the last Olluer, cxrcpticn% ( Hcrt I, he would go on, f saddled .with the Nurtlt Aiueriva,>» 57] FARL REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. 1818.— l/mflgr /row ///« Governor in Chief. [Sg Thu ih« Provlnct should p«T lu CIyH OoY«mor Ik readily would •te..t_bu.th«ltJi« OIHccol'tit.l Uo».riK.r «nd Coiinnaiidcr in Chlsf .iRHiU U.. d.-unil«d^Thc i'rovincc. In uncl*r«kinf to •n.»«r for It. own Civil K.p«~t.lui«. n«»it 'n»'»«»«ll" W •»! IhlnK like > Military tUtaldi.bmciit, nor twUd h« mm why tb. «- lJrh« woulTrm-fte himself for the jubji-cl when a ITovinci. .nd •-. MC.rw.n wh»t w.. lo be undetMood by th. . ...A «..«i,f« exutuditur* ol the Civil Oovtri- mem. TheM. lernuw.r. K.n..whit uov.l, m ' i buy ought to be wJll .i.a thorou». 'igour «r,rn....ur. will. rc.p.«t to .b^m m.mb.r.. H. thought lUbiDntwimitUd to no .ndulg.n«. p.rti.uUr , thoM who had recently .bwnted .htrnwUe. without Uave, who. by righi, ouRht to be p« into th. cuMody ol ihe !"'J'-''« " '^'"'•' "• ' U,Z for their futur. guidance. L'pou tb. whole, he hough, h^hly e,p*di.n,, th.t . c»U of .be Hou.e .liould uU pi«e rion on the Civil l.i... he hud but lew "»>«'"':" herect He w;.. di.po.«l to inno»».e .. lutlt an po.i.blr, but there c..- uinU were it.m, in that Li.t, which he thought i. the duty ol Chat Hou.e ,« .crulinize with the uimo^ nictiy. ;! he contiii- L t account, loudly call.d for inve.iigui.on Mr. V. mM.nced ^be ,.m. .Ilowed 10 the Judge, lor travelling expuice,, which, he ..id, had been .o notoriou.ly • matter ol kpecuUuou among their honor., a. ab.olu<.ly to lower them in the public e.t.ma- Q tie wail .or trimental lo rv to .ay, that this circumstauce, had solar been dr- n.nen». .0 the characrer which Judge, ought to e.joy m the public estimation, that he doub.rd wbe.her .h..r honor, could te con.ldered a. di.intere»ted in ca«. ol puOiiC peculaUon, il, ly any accident, they might be ""«'» ^P""'" """''"Hf ^e eu^e.. -llie eipence. of Law proceedings on the par. of the Crown, be thought another g. OH abu.e. It wa. proper that one of the Law Officer, of th. Crowu .hould be paid lor bur - ne». done at .>ebec, but to pay an Attoruey-Oeueral and abo- licitor-Geiieral. both reiident at Quebec, wa., he though ,coii. trary to pII former precedent .n this Provmce. 1 he solicitor General, heretofore, re.id.d at Montreal, and th. residence ol thar Officer in Quebec, ntcemrily gave occn.ion to employ uid pay other Law Officer, at the former place, ihi. circumstance contributed not a lutle to incr.a.e the contingent expence. ol the Province, which it wa. incumbent upon the Hou.e to keep within moderat* bound*. .• 4 . .„. Mr. floraiir-wa. not, hx the present. di.poKd o enter larprly upon the difcu.aion of the Civil Li.t, which, he bought, at rheV;.ent stage, would be pre.natu^. He would re.e.^e hi. ob^rvations, untilafter a call of .he Hou« .hould be m«de which, he thought, wa. a m.a.ur. highly ""eMary He thought the Civil Li.t not only properly belonged to the Province, but that it w3. a right which the Province ought .trongly to a.seri. It wa. the property 6( liie Province, and as .ueh, ought to be paid and vigilantly attended to. Mr TojcAerc-aM-obiiervcd, that the motion for « Call of the Housow^M he conceived. unimportMt, otherwise than « it tt^di^ to^rolong the Sevsion, for which be saw no rtecesaty— He iSfoieht^bc measure wa^fraught with much mconven.enceto M.^,^rl w ttout any .pparenf necessity for troubliOK them ?J^';:'"reVd'^"L%S'-t be a^iuted. he thought itof nmeh imf^ance, (meaning the Civil Tirt) and he could not "'.I _J."?r;L h:,nor.-.hle Member for Huntingdon, on tlie -The Honorable but oppose the Honorable Member irrnimHs he had taken with respect to _ Member opposed tliut measure on pi im •?•«>, -..- — rr=ar..- i... «r«Jraor'^inary^He had maniferted hi, dts^ Excellency 'he Governor in Chief should have ^4500 per «"- numToui the Provinctx^TUat so numy Idlers should be paW, who in fact dt^pUe the Province on which they fMd. and who daah about In tandcmi, and whip the common people in the •treets.— rh.il all these wretch*, nhould be reduced.— lhe»« were, hi< thought, the niin 'nd subelance of the argumenli of the Honorable Member lor Hi uingdon for m tallul the tlutiie, and which were luve.led at the Civil List.— These argumenu were Indeed calculated to make an impreisiun in a cirtain yti pledged itself for Uie accoinplish- mciit of Uial ciif^iitfenieiil— W bat, then, would be said, if this saniu House should now evince a dlsjiosition to retrench?— What faith, or wbiit confidence could Great Britain repowj in ihem? Would it not cxpttsc the ( anadian Name to the oppro- brium of all the Sister Colonici, and destroy for ever their repu- tation in the opinion of all retlecting perwma V— Such conduct, he maintained, would furnish their enemies with arm* against thcin.— Tho Province liuil retiuestcd to have tlie Civil List lu ISIO, from a sense of duly und gratitude towards iho Mother Country, and, ho know iiui why it should not, at the present day, be actuated by the 8.iine .sentiment — Members surely were not anxious to involve their C oiiiilry so far in acharge of inconsisten- cy, as to render it unworthy of 'the Constitution, and to induce a belief tliat it wiui unable to jiidgo of the importance of measiiret — If thu Commons of Great Hrituin owf their inlluencc in the ba- lance of the Conatitution to their controul upon the Public Pursu when every other source of power has failed them- If that I'ursu is tho only Constitutional means within their power, of scciiringr the weight they ought to iiiaintuin in the Constitution, would not Members bo guilty of a siiecics of treason against this House, If through motive* of apprehension in giving displeas^jre in a cer- tain quarter, or %vith a view of seckini; popularity, refuse to thia same House the importance which by tJiat means it ought to en- joy ; it would bo in reality to deceive in the moat dishonest muiiiier their Constituents, under the specious pretext of nervine them. Would It not be the height of selfishness, to degrade the Nation- al Character of our Constituents through motives of popubu-ily tending to private advantage V— In making these rcmark-s ho bcKKcait to bo clearly understood, that be by no means intend- ed to attack any individual, much less the Hon. Mover, to whoso liberaUty he wa* disposed to do the most ample justice — he only alluded to measure*— He observed, that the House was by no means called upon to make a new Civil List — It was a Ci- vil Lirt which had long since subsisted, and which the Pro- vince had asked for : it was a List well known to belong ex- clusively to the Royal Prerogative in this Province as well a* in England— but, say you, we do not refuse it, we only mean to retrench ftwn it.— Let us see the consequences of tliis re- trenching system. — Our List amounts to ae73,000, of that sum, jf;i,000 are already provided for by permanent Acts; thero remain, therefore, but ^'40,(XX). Of this last suin ^IS.OX) arc expences of the Legislature, annually provided for by Acts ot AppropriaUon or Votes of Credit. =£10,000 more, go to tba maintenance and support of Houses of Correction, I-oundlings, Insane and Inlirm People, and other Charitable purposes an- nually provided for by the LegislaUire; there therefore rviraainv but about IS or ^^,0(t) of this Civil List to bo provided for— Now he would ask if Great Britain ought to be exposed to tho in- sult of seeing this Civil List (for tlie maintenance of which her honor stands in some mr.isure pledged) torn to pieces, in order to avoid the payment of so paltrj* a sura? Would slie re- nounce the Important Privilege which site now conferred on us. without requiriiig »oui« euuivaicnt ' il vvc rcaucc, as prtjpa- sed by Gentlemen, the sum In question, thU small balance of tlie Civil List will be reduced to nothing, and we shall be precisely in (he same sitwrtion in which we formeily were ; in other words, '• i 3S1 PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo. III. 1813 Committee on the Civil List. we shall have nothing &; all to pay, and -hen farewell to that Ci- 71 1 LiBv for which we have boen so eager, and which we liave af- fected to connder as a matter of such extraordinary importance— This sCaO.OOO is about half the Annual expeiioe ot a regiment in the British lervice, aqd members might rest arsured that (ireat- Btitain, rather than have any difficulties upon '.he ^iuhject, would most willingly withdraw the bone of <;ontfimion. In ceininencing, a^ proposed by the hon. membec for Iluntingoon, to reduce the sa- lary of the Governor in Chief, would be to commence on a point the most delicace and oifensive to the dignity and iuiiependence of the Crown, which solely wasiiivtsled with the power of appointing to that elevated Office, and, necesiarily, of conferring such salary «s it might deem suitable to the dignity and importance of its Ile- presentaiive in this Colony, — but, says the hon. member, our Go- vernor in Chief ha« the supreme command of these Colonies in British North America, while he isptidby us only. The lii.n. Gen- tleman takes it then for nothing, that we have the advantage of be- ing the seat of Government in Briu^;; North America, that we have the benefit of all the advantages incident to this circumstance, and a considerable military establishment exclusively paid by Great- Britain. Let us for an instant suppose, that we siiould refuse to pay the first Magistrate of these Provinces, and that the British Government should, in future, fix his residence in some of the sis- ter Pr.>vince8 it would then be found, thai his hon. friend, and those who were now of his opinion, would be as ready to clamour ai>;ainst the injustice of the British Government, as the Province in wnieh he should be ordered to fix his lesidence, would be prc'udof pay- ing the difference for the advantages of such residence. He had ob- served, with pain, that the hon. member had alluded to ))erso>ifi paid by the Province, who dashed about, cracking tlicir whips, in fanci- ful vehicles in our streets. — To whom was this addressed? — Surely not to a liberal and enlightened House. The hon. member had been no candid as to say he did not aiUlrei-s himself to the passions — Why then dwell upon tlijs subject. In a word, he was not at all averse to a* call of the House, but ho certainly was averse to the reasons upon which the honorable member urged its expeuiency, and he felt persuaded, that a call of the House would be attended with a result the reverse of what the hon. member from Huntingdon projwsed, as the good sense and meaning of the Provins-e, could not be more clearly ascertained, than from the full convocation of all its repre- sentatives within those walls. MONDAY, March 2. On this day the following Message was transmitted to the House of Assembly bv His Kxeellency tlic Governor in Cliief, through Mr. Secretary Cochran : The Governor in Chief informs the House of Assembly, that having transnutted their Address to His Iloyal Highness the J'rince Kegent, of the 25tli day of February 1817, with-their Proceedings against Louis Charies Poucher, Lsquu-e, one of the .Justices of the Court of King's Bench for the District of Mon- treal, he has it in command fioin His Royal Highness the Prince Kegent, to signify to the House of Assembly thu decision of His Koyal Highness, that in this ami in all similar cases of Im- peachment by tho Assembly, the adjudication of the Charges preferred against the Party a'ccused, shall be left to the Legisla- tiv" ("ouncil- llis Excellency has it also in command from His Royal High- ness, to express to the Lt-gislative Council the confident expec- tation of His Koyal Highness, that they will so discliaige the important duties which under this arrangeuient will dcvoivc up- on them, as to give complete satisfaction to all Classes of His Majesty's Subjects in this Province. The Governor in Chief Unther informs the House of Assem- bly, that no* having received from His iloyal Highness any in- Btnictions as to the manner in which this his decision is to be .•arried into execution, he has been under the necessity of recur- ring to His Iloyal Highness for his pleasure in this respect, and for'such instructions as His Iloyal Highness may see fit to give therouptm, and he will not fail to conimunicaLo to the House of ,\ssenibly the Commands which ho shall receive in thjs behalf from His Royal HighncJ's, as soon after they shall be conveyed to him as may be practicable. r r^ a J. C a. Castle of St» LewiSj 2d March. 1818. FRIDAY, 6th March, 1818. Mr. DauidtoH from the Committee to which was referred the Petition of the Merchants of Montreal, acquainted the House, t!mt in order to proceed upon the enquiry aiising from the pa- P'TS referred, it bccdjae" necessary to ask some assistance Iroin the House, and he should in consequence apply that a Message be sent to the l^egislative Council, to request that the Collector and Comptroller, who had been recently summoned to that boAy, sliould.bc permitted to appear before the Specidl Committee^— (■AJier avitm convenatuiii in the House Mr. 1). altered the mode i)J' ootainiiig t/ic asuistaiice viUhvd.J—Ue siud the measure ap- peared at hi-st sight like a redectioa upon the general proceeding of tiie Custom Ilouse Othcers; he however, individually had no cause of complaint, but, at the :;ame time, he would never shrink from a Constitutional aischarge of his public duty, 'i he degree of humour manifested by the Mercantile Body in general, made ■some investigation absolutely necessary ; for at a moment when the Fees, were considered as greater than tho I'rade could aflbrd, an additional Tariff, wt.i.:h would amount to a very considerable Tax, had been announced. The proceedings at Jamaica liad very naturally a considerable effect on the minds of the Merchants here, and led them to ex- l>ect, that this House would proceed upon a question which very materially interests them ; and it is but an act of justice that it sliuuld do so. — He said, that he had until this moment supposed, thattiie practice of fixing fees exercised by Commissioners in En- gland, which had obtained, and as ne imagined, without resis- tance or remonstrance for so many years, must be founded on something more than usage ; it must, however, be admitted, that as far back as 171 1, the Jamaica Legislature had exercised a right in the matter. The abject of the present enquiry would go to ascertain the table of Jr'ees as it now stands, at Quebec and Montreal— by whom the amount of fees is regulated — and under what Statute those persons act—to establish the right will be very important, as it may prevent, perhaps, serious diljiciilty during the next sum mer, and enable the House to take i.ieasures which « ill tend to redress any grievance that can be fairly proved to exist. Mr. Davidson then moved, that an bumble Address be presen- ted to His Excellency the Governor in Chief, requesting that His Excellency will be pleased to direct the principal Officers of His Majesty's Customs in this Province, to lay belure this House a Table of the Fees exacted at the Custom Houses at Quebec and Montreal, and that they do state by whom, or in virtue of what law or authority thb said fees are regulated and established, — Agreed to unanimously. FRIDAY, March 13. The following Message was tlus day transmittpd by His Excel* lency the Governor iu C:hief. to the House of Assembly : The Governor in Chief calls the attention of the IIousc of Assembly to the present state of the Court of King's Bench at Montreal, and to the delay of Public Justice both Civil and Cri- minal which will probably result therefrom : one of the Judges of the said Court having been directed to abstain from tlie exer- cise of his Jndiciil functions on account of the charges prefer- red against him : — anoiher from conscientious motives declining to sit in certain very important Criminal Matters that come be- fore that Court, and a tliird labouring under a grievous malaiiy which will probably render it necesssuy for the Governor iii Chief to comply with his request for leave ol Absence to repair to En- gland for the cure thereof; and the (Jovernor iu Chief recom- uieiids to the Ass.embly to consider the expediency of making such alteration in the Judicature Act, as shall enable him in tlie present instance, and generally whenever similar circumstances shall occur in future, to provide for the Administration of Pub- lic Justice, by the appointment of one or more Assistant .Judges to carry on the business of the Courts, until the other Judges shall be enabled to resume the exercise of their functions. Castle of St. Lewis, l,3th March, 1818. J. C. S. THURSDAY, 19tli March, ISIR. In ComnUttec of the ivhole Hovsi- on the Citil List. Mr. Tasclicn'au—n>sc to say, that as it had already been de- termined that the Civil List should be assumed by tho Province, it only now remained for the House to determine upon the sums to be appropriated for the several Public Departments in the Province, which, to enuble the House to give them that ample coi.sideration which the subject deserved, he would propose in regulw succession us they stood on the lOstininte which had beou printed for the use of Alembers. He observed, that the Civil List proposepr cxpences uttcndinj^ the Administration of Jiutictl, 3, School Masters. PARI. REGISTER. 58 Geo. III. 1818 — Committee on the Civil List: [43 f Civil List. 6 Divers Pensions. 7. Surveyor General's Department. 8; The Militia Staff and Cootingencics. 9. lloads, and I'ost Houses Officers. 10. Money for the relief of Insane Persons, Foundlings and Sick. 11. The Houses of Correction. 12. The Trinity House. i,'5. Expcnces of Collection. .,..., . 14. Other Kxptnces of Government, not included m the Ac- counts of any Department. .-,..,,•. , As a in-eat part of the sum required for the Civil List was al- ready provided for and appropriated ny several Acts of the Le- eislature, he would have been disposed to have supphed the dit- ference by votintr a round sum, without entering into the Esti- mate in detail ; but as he thought it fair to eivc every reasonable scope to canv<« the Estimates which were botore the House, he had made up his mind to take the sense of the House distinct- ly on each head,— He would therefore begin by the first chapter, namely, " The Salaries of Officers of Government not iuclu duccd, inasmuch as it was in part a remuneration for military services with which the Province had nothing to say.,— Lord Dorcliester had been content with one thousand pounds per an* num. — His successor, Goveinor Prescott succeeded in getting it doubled to two thousand i)ound8. And Sir James Cnug, mor« expert than either of hib pint to the Province, which had hitherto endeavoiu'cd to have an Agent in England, a measure, which from a mistaken policy, and for which it was easy to account, had been constantly aud but too successfully opposed.— How then did it happen, that all at once the Commons of this Province were preseitted with an Agent at MWOyer annum ? Did Members knotv any thing of this Agent? — Had tlie Commons of Lower Canada any par- ticipation in his apjiointiiieiit, or could they consistently with the respect due to themselves correspond with anindividual of whom. - they knew nothing but the name and the amount of liis salary ? The Agent of Lower Canada ought to be a person of rank and - . indueuce in England— could any iViember on that door, say wh<> ' the Agent in question was ?— He for one could inform them that their Agent was no more than an Understrapper in one of the Offices — he believed, in the Colonial Department — Was this a person suitable to represent the Province of Lower Canada? No ! When the Commons of this Province should appoint an Agent, it would be one of some higher importance than a Subaltern in Office, and that Agent should be liberally paid by the Province, With respect to the saliU7 of the Governor's Private Secretary, , he thought it too small, as that office ought to be filled by a Per- son of respectability and talents. — lleknewnothinguf the Gen- tleman who now filled that office, but upon adverting to the Mes- sage recently received from His E.\ceUency the Governor in Chief, he could nut but remark a circumstance that must strike M i'iubers-~It was, that tlie amount recommended for his future .siiUiry was filled up in a hand writing different from that of the body of the Message,— in fact, he beUeved it had been> fiUed up by the Secretiffy himself, who without leaving it to the Assembly to li.'v the quantum of his salary, had already taken upon himself to cstablisli what it should be.— This he conceived to be impro- ner, — the (luantum should have been left to the liberiUily of tfie lluu.se. — With respect to the Inspector General of Accounts, ho thought his situation and that of his Clerk usele.ss. as it was the duty of those Members of the Executive Council, wlio received one' hundred a vear, to inspect the Pubhc .Iceounts, to do that duty: but upoii casting bis eyes a few line's lower on the Civil List, he foui.d, an item' (or \\ Committee of Aiiiit of Public y/tcoM'i's— What was the moiming of this Conuuittee ? U is true there appeared to be no sum stipulated as salaries for the Councillors composing the Hoard of Audit— but v>iU it alwaya remain so?— Is the Province to pay an Inspector General of IVovincial yVctounls— A Comipittoe of Audit of Public Ac- counts, and half a dozen Councillors for business which ought to be done bv the Executive Council.— The thing was preposte- rous He would never coiLsent to such manifest waste of the Public Monty. — The salaries of this Committee of Audit re- mained lUanlt, and he would vote that they should so .emain— As to the office of Naval Otlicer, he could iu;(|uaint Members, that it was of ."-ecord in their own Journals, that it was altogether useless, and as such had in the year 1794, by a Message from the thun Governor, been announced to the Legislature, as it did not answer the purpose originally intended, namely, a check up- on tilC Custom House OriieerS ('(r*F6 Mr. ('- tHr'tlrd to thr ^..'.V"— nals, and rctid the Me^iane to which hefijerrfd, To/. 2, paga a.52.) 'I'he Pension List, h« said, ouj;lit not to bo entailed upou the Province, as it had been formally intimated by Message from to the llou.su in "^ttornev Gtiiml and a .Solicitor General fhould both be paid the (Jovenior, Lord Dorchester, in the year 17S>.>, Sihesr««S-OnP«i" these GenUemcn ought, ash»dhcro- of /Vsse.nbly, that as tl,c PeuMon^ were mlendcd .is a reward w 43] PARL. REGISTER. 58 Geo. III. 181 8,-^CommiUee on the Civil List. [♦* for MTvicsa nndered to the Empire, they should excluwvely bo paid by it (U*rc Mr. C. read a jmrt «/' the Mettage, which u a) fottowit—f' The Pemiont amounting to ifc.l78a 6 7 sterling, " Ikougk chiefly granted Jbr tervicea retuitred to Canada, " eontldered at rendered to the Empire at lar^e. It itjrorn thence " tktrefbre thdr rttard tvith other acU 0/ benevolence may be " expected to flow." J—Thete Vmxtiona, although they had been cihibitfld yearly to the Lc^Iature, on the Public Accounts uf the Province, had in fact, been always paid from the military chest. ThiaProvinceought not, therefore, to be loaded with the Pensi- on List— C'uriowty had induced him to look into Johnson's Dic- tionary for the meaning of the English word Pension, and if he were to rely upon the authority of that learned Knglishman, the sense in which the word was received in England wa<« odious in the extreme : " In England U in generaUtf undcniood to Tnean " pay pven to a ttate hireling far treason to his country." He had also consulted the same author for the meaning of smecure, which was defined to be, "an office which has revenue witlwut vny employment." Was this Province disposed to tolerate such abuses, or would it not rather insist upon being altogether dis- inctmibered of such an iniquitous list?— He was as well dispos- ed as any Member in the liousc, to allow a liberal reccmpiiice to every Public Officer who had certain pubUc duties to er- form, but at the same time he thought i*. suillcient that they who were actively employed should be liberally recompensed, with- out recompensing those who did nothing at all. — The Pen- sion List he would therefore wish to retrench totally and leave to be paid by Great Britain— He could not on the present occasion pass over in silence the abuses which he found to have prevailed in the Custom House — Notwithstanding the positive in- junctions of the Laws of the Province tlie principal OWcers of the Customs had taken a commission or jterccntage upon monies which had been paid into their hands for duties— This was direct- ly contrary to Acts of the Provincial Legislature — To Acts which gave to the King a Duty for the support of the late war with America, and which never were intended to enrich the Cus- tom House Officers at the expence of the Province— In En- gland the Custom House Officers were not entitled to fees, much IMS to a conmiisslon— The Mth Geo. 3, C. 8H, (an Act of the Imperial Parliament imposii^ certain duties for the support of (be civil Government of the Frovinoe) does not allow any thing Uke a commission to the Collector or Comptroller upon which they have nevertheless exacted five per cent. The onlj Act allow, ing these Gentlemen a commission is the 33d of the King chapter 8w which gives them three per cent upon the monies levied under that act— every other act of the Legislature of this Province is either silent on the score of a commis^onto those Officers, (which he considered tantamount to a prohibition to exort any such) or else ezprenly prohibit them from deducting or receiving a com- mission,— The 53d of the King chapter 1st : and the 55th of the King chapter 3, are most explicit on the subject— Formerly the collector received a salary of ^'100 per annum and the comptrol- ler JtlO per annum— But it seems this would not answer the pur- pose, and un consulting the public accounts it would appear that they had found the commission a more lucrative speculation than the salary and accordingly abandoned tlie latter taking the former as an eqmvalent—'O.t cautioned Members to beware of tlie res- ponsibilW which they were about to assume— The civil list was not theamur of a moment — It wa; to be permanent — they snouid remember that the very money which they were about to bestow upon Placemen and Pensioners mi^ht perhaps come from the Pockets <^ some unhappy parent ofa starving family of infants —That it was upon the toil of the husbandmen they were to feed a herd of indolent and supercilious functionaries, and that bc'for one, was too well aware of the difficulty of earning a competency to squander away the public money upon a list of Hirelings. Mr, DaviJion — Obtcrved, that the Salary allowed to the Governor in Chief of these Provinces, so far from being enor- mous was considered as exccmely moderate, when the Salary granted to the King'i Representative in other Colonitt, par ticultrly Jamaica were compared with it — Hethought it barely sufficient to enable the first Officer in the Colony to live with suitable dignity. —The Salary hitherto allowed to the Secretary was certainly not a recompen!ieror'.he('erv:ces required of him. what was ^200 a year for a Fiiuation of trust, and one which required the exertion of no ordinary talenti.— There could not, be a doubt that it was two small a stipend to enable a gentle- man to subsist upon. — He would undertake to assert, that the very Geiitirmau who npuke i cil as an equitable remuneration for their trouble. Mr. Ckvillier — Expressed hit surprise at the apology offered by the Honorable Member who spoke last, in behalf of the Officers of His Majesty's Customs — He had as yet to learn by what authority the Executive Council could suspend the ope- ration of Acts of the Provincial Legitlature. — The excuse of- fered by the Honora'ole Member went to involve the Execu* tive Council in a very serious imputation, that of 8u trouble. ; the apology offered t, in behalf of the ad as yet to learn by lid suspend the ope< >re. — The excuse of- involve the Execu* 1 that of su ;hought the subject ion of the Civil List— the Governor*' Sala- oin the indcpendancc ;olony could live that and totally above the a to colonies could be the chief commund in ch from the want of a r had involved them* Ives and degrading to »ht to be entire straii* dousy, and to enable jcral provision for the Governor in Chief of ;he Civil Secretary to witance, & must ne- I pei'sun of more than .e ought to be filled f andof talents, and its interests, and stu- lirements were eaaen- t be chai^^ with the (imon justice to give a :baraclcr and dcscrip- to an honftst and up- ht the salary ought to ouncil and Assembly iry of the Lieut. Go- e Province, as the ustead of that vaci'la* » the Province a sten- introduccd and acted ' Gaspd was useless to cfore wished to see it i with the individual 1 was in the like nun* :o the Pension List— nmpeiled to reside in the List altogether as and unjust to expect • Sum as ^450 Ster* r to it, and in which 45] probAly he had never flft his foot-The Auditor of ?»««"»» he StosldeJed in the same light-He saw no necessity for a Clerk to the Inspector General of Accounts-It w«> a new and unneces- sary chS^i to the Province and as such he was disposed to rc- SSch Tatogcthcr-As for the Agent of the Province, he would not W^^^« surprise at seeing such a situation on the CivH T stand he had roo^ to suspect that the person in qi^ertion had ceiSirconnectfonrin this PrLince not sofHendly to i^int«mu ^ wuld be wished, and which y^'^ «^Pi«;'. "Sd eve^^ mons frtjm having any communication with h*'"-'^* Jf'*"*™ Commons from tte unconsututional manner «« ""chAey ap- posed he must hold his agencv from the Assembly of Low** 9,0- Si corrSpond with hhH-Tfie private *n^Vj!'=*'°"''J^tiS wSl S Umehe n«y receive fixm. persons resWingor^erted^th this Province it is much to be apprehended wil »«,^^«J^n increase of the Civil Li.t. it should not cavil upon frifle. when po.M..ion of.uch an important obiect was to be trifle., wnen p ^^ .^.^^ ^^^^ ,^g (.,„, ITsrwaTthe property of the Commons^ Lower-Canada. ...d u Tl^iIt thev .btained possession of it the more it would that the Moner they •DiiuiieH ^ ^^^^^ ""1; of tfmraTd =^i to^fs^uu t^^^^^ subject in Lail with such waste of t'me »nd t^hen he felt awured that they would termi- ner dSon oUhe" Civil LUtby .wallowing It r.-,r«; in lump. ,>, c#„-.,f_Ro9e to «ay, that on a subject .o important he ^ ,nX event of their cotrfmitting an error on a subject of ject -In theevem constituent, a. a permaneht r' 1 Tu. of^veral thousand, of pound,, it would be no excuse P'^l iKthat the House wa, short of time, that it was " » .rohurrv on busine.s.-Thi. would be no excu« at TIu would mher be an affront to ther -llie House mn.t all.— »twouiar*i bininew.— He could not help obwr- ^'^''Ta^Ln tke'e.Sate .h«; appeared an appointment ,,ng that upon the etiini* ^ ^^ .^^^ House.— H4 meant .f ' ArenffoMhe Pro^lncT^'siding' in~London ; by whom or hen d^d thisappointmrnt take place ? Thi. appointment had 1 never aheS place with the advice or concurrence of the SX. of Low.?.C«.da, who had not long .go been told by very high authority that they were not ttt have an Agent how then were they to account for thi. extraordinary solicitude which appear, to have existed wme where to provide an Agent for the Common, of thi. Province without con.ulting thtm-. It wa. to him a marvellous and uoaccounuble occurence, that after several year, unsuccessful endeavour, to obtain the privi- legeofhavinganAgsBtin England, they were at a moment when they leait expected it, blest with the Consummation of their wishes without any other trouble thafj that of paying him.— He would not for the present enter into the Civil List a. amply as he could wiA, but it appeared to him to contain Ittm, extremely objectionable— Among them he remarked the Audit of Account. corapoMd of Member, of the Executive Council, which he Mid was entirely* new thing, and m hi. opinion quite unnecessary, as there is already an Inspector General of Accounts, whoM duty it is to examine the Public Account.,— He had never underrtood that the Gsntleman to whom he alluded had been remiw in Inspecting the Account, of the Province ; on the contrary, he had heard many reflec- tion, upon the ripd punctiliouwew with which he KrutiniKd the Accounts that came before him: if however it were ne- ceswry to investigate the public account, with greater exactness than heretofore, it wa. the duty of the Executive Council or at lean of thoM Members who were already paid for the pur- pof e to do the duty in question ; or if they could not spare time let them transfer the Sum of =£900, which they annually re- ceived, to pay the Gentlemen composing the Audit ofAtcauiitt. —He obwrved on casting his eye over the Civil List, that no Sum was as yet assigned for the payment of the Audit of Accounts.— The sum remained as yet blank, and if the merit of the intended Audit were to be the measure of their recom- pense, it would he believed for ever remain blank.— He did not see any plausible pretext for the creation of a board ot Audit— in fact the Houm of A3sembly was in future to be the Audit of all the public Accounts which without the assistance of the Inspector General of Accounts, would be quite cotnpe- tent to do the business with the asiistance of the Council.— He observed two new charges on the list, one of £100 for the Clerk to the Inspector General of Accounts, and another ot Assistant Clerk to the Executive Council of =£182 10$ Ster- ling.^ The first of these charges he thought to say no worse of it was quite unnecessary, but with respect to the latter, he had no hesitation in pronouncing it to be a downright iinpoM- tion upon the House, as it must have been upon His Excellency the Governor iu Chief, who had been induced to conside- it, of such importance as to put it into the EMimate,--He honed Members would take a day or two to think of the Subject. —There were, in his opinion two modes of proceeding m the present instance; one, to appoint a .Spec«l Committee to examine the Civil List and report upon it,— This would etiable Member, to form a correct idea of the propriety of either srantine the full amount of the estimate before the hon.e, or of retrenching from it, if the estimate should be found over- charged —If however the advanced period of the Session was such a. to prevent the adoption of this method, he would be of opinion to vote a certain Sum for the payment of the expenses for the prewnt year, appointing at the same time a Committee to look into the appropriations, and report at an early period in the ensuing Session, the result of their enquiries m cider that abuses if any such .hould be found to exist, might be thoroughly corrected, and the Civil Li.t be wttled by an Act of the Legislature. Mr. ToichereaH observed that members had wandered from the point at present before the House-They had not been conten'. withcon&iing themwlve. to the subject in quesuon, but had enter, ed largely inio the discussion of item, which from the course he adopt^ must necessarily come in their turn for discussion at a sub- sequent stage of hi. proceeding— That the Hon. Member who spoke last expressed some dissatisfaction at two new places as men- tioned in the civil fist viz : Clerk to the Inspector of accounts and auisunt Clerk to the i.xecutive,— As to the lirst however. » ^vou!u in some Mnse appear from the arguments of the Hon. Member that he partlv approved of it in admitting that the person entrusted with the ins^ctiun of the public wcouals punctiliously ptnfomie^ iwmt^*'y,r ♦73 PARL. REGISTER, 58 Geo, III. 181 8. --Com^mttee on the Civil List, [48 it hi- I: his duty—He (Mr. T.) even from ti.e statement of the Hon. Member considered the duties of his office so orduous ns in justice to entitle him to an assistant, so as to enable him to scrutinize wth the minutest attention the public accounts, by which consider- able suras uiight ultimately be saved to the Province-as to the place of assisunt derk to the Executive Council he intended to have mentioned in its turn that it was in fact a new office, but that ■s It had been put upon the estimate he was not disposed to re- treiicli It without making some previous enquiry as to the nature and responsibility of this office— Members had spoken amply on the charges contained in the first head of the civil Ust. but he would venture an observation on the objection ii; da to the Acent— He had always considered an Agent in Euglaud as an appointment which might bcot materermisiTvicctoihe IVovince— It was in- ^Uercnt who that Agent might be, provided he were useful to the Frovince.— Let us try, (he observed) the person who is said to be our Agent at present, and if he serv e us well, it will be fair to continue h.m, and legally constitute him the Agent of Lower Canada. l.et us to-morrow appoint a Committee of CorresiMin- flenco with him, as practiced in other Colonies. The Province nad, at the present moment, a very fair opportunity of trving his diligence-two Bills of the highest imporlancc to its welfare are now pendhng tor the Iloyal Sanction— The Bills for the Fire As- surance Companies of Quebec and Montreal.— The Agent has in forwarding these BUI for thp Iloyal Sanction, a very favora- ble opportunity of e.ssential.y serving (he Province, by opposing thewholeof Its general interests against the private interests oT «tew sordid individual.s a.s well in Canada as in England, who by mtngiie cndaavour to prevent these Bills from pissing into J.aws.-^ais dj igenco in this business will shew whether he be an earnest well wisher of this Province, and devoted to iu best interests, or whether he be a tool of a fo^v intriguing and desim- I mg men here, and in England.— Tlicre are nbw before the Lo- I guslature two other Bills.- those for the Incorporation of Banks I at Quebec and Montreal, ivhich most probably would be sent to England for the Royal Sanction.-Whathe had .said with re».l pecttothe I'lrc Assurance Bill.s, might, as far as the Agent was concerned, be said also of these Bilk,-I|e repeated, tliat the honesty and faithfulness of the Agent in question, and whose credit with the Commons o/ this Province must depepd upon the punptuality with which he shpiild dispatch their business, would be amply ascertained, by the attention he should bestow on these Bills which It would be Ijis duty to attend to— For thc^e reasons hewasnotdispa^cd for the prer^ent, to retrench or cancel the ap- pointment. Objections had been made with respect to certain non-residents jiajd by the Province, to which he did not intend to niake an answer, tor he indeed felt apprehensive that he could find no apology whicu in his own mind would be satisfactorv — -Vs they were paid by the Frovince, it had IJiiqucstionably a right to their service.s, ot afleast their residence in the colony— He hopad, however, thut no cause of dis.satisfaction .on tliis score would subsist at the ensuing session, or at least that if the griev- ance of which Members complained should then jcmain, he would wiUin-ly acquiesce with the TJouse in any constitutional ^0^3^""""^ '" T^7' I'''' >-'vi:. .-Complaints- had been made ngainstSnu'curc, and Memboi-s were inclined to place them on ^^L\lZZl''''^\",""u' ''l"' "'.^y ■^'■g1>' die with the pcr«ms Mho held them.- 1 his he acknowledged might be desirable, but he begged of Members to consider, that there were certain ori Is inherent in all Governments, which cannot bo removed but with time-He concc-ived the complaints were not groundless, and hi they uvght prop«rly be mada the si,l,ject of a repi esentatiou t., (.ovcrnment, but it wasindispen.sjbly nece.s.sarv to adbrd time Jorthc Government of the Colony to communicate with M'lils- tei-s on the subject, and. in the mean time, ho thoucht if com. ported most with the liberality of the House to vote a suflicient sum to cover the exjwnces for the present year. The House adjourned the question at a very late hour until the next nay. FlllDAY, 27th Madcii, 1018 Mr. fi!i'?»/said. that feeling him.c!f not perfectly acquninfed with this branch of political economy, lie had preferred niaintaininf si. Jcnce, since the commencement of the debates on this (luestion He hatl been desirous of seeingthose who were universally consi- dered as capableof discus.s;ngthe question, open the way. It was enough for him to conic into the engagement with the rear ciiard. arid there maintain his ground, ilo had heard the arguments on Z'^" ^^fL^Pl^'"''^'f'\^y '"" '":':"''"' """-e able to Conn an opi- r.'.nr. or. r. .-j:;es4;.".r! whjc-ii lit- c:i:i.s:f:crcd as higiijy iiiiuon.mt tothe Interests .ind to the honour of the Province.^ Ii' he had not tho!: roi^irhly acqimmtcd him.seU with the knowledge requisite for a fi- nancier, he hoped at least that he was sufflciejitly acquainted with e history ol >u»tiom, to know that one of the lirst characteristic traits of a freo people, was not only to contribute with resignaUon, bie, but ..le expedience of submitting to this obligation, which springs from the social compact of «^iety, must bo madi man". 1 test, and this he conceived ought to be the preliminary subject of the deliberation ot the House. He was of opinior,, that the Go- ' vernment, in giving the Civil List of the Piivincc to the Com- mons, .id no more than an act of justice. It was an acknowledg- ment of the nglits of the people, and such as the Province, liS^i the attachment shewn by the Canadian people during the late war. had a rightto expect in 1810. the offer to pay the tivil List had been made by the Commons of this Province, But the narrow poli- cy of the Government ol that day, was not disposed to adopt the measure ; the system was now totally altered, and he was happy in seeing tha Great Britain had^t length opened her eyes to the tnie of tho'^nin"'.^^^''"^; „^^«"°l°"g" («>idhe) hearthe minions ot the adm nistration talk of the merit of the Mother Country in paying the 6ixpen.se of protetling us. We shall no lonser be disgusted with the impudent assertion that Great Britain ought to sell us to thp Umteession, was m .some respi cts, a reason .sufficient to induce the House to vote the sum demanded, without diminution, for the present year, lie hoped, houever, that the Public Accounts would not, m the next Session, be kept back .so unaccountably as they had been this Session, in order that Members iniffht have the necessary time to eiTcct such alterations and rediictionl as cir- cumstances might rc(iuiic. He anticipated with sati.sfaction. the success ot the measure before the House. The possession of the Civil List wa-s in his opinion, a pledge against the augmentation ot taxes, otherwise than in the exact projiortion of the proRress of industry and public prosperity; and iu returning to his constitu- ents, lie would cordially felicitate them on the flourishing state of the 1 rovmce, and on the certainty entertained by the Legislature that direct taxes would never be a necessary mea.sure for the main- tenance of the Civil Government in Cai-.ada ; an advantage which tew people coulJ boast of. a.s. on the conliarv. the emigration tiom Europe was occasioned by the enormous weight of ta.\ea under which the nations laboured, and which, in au probability, thev were doomed to groan under for ages to come. Mr. CiiviUier — Had been of opinion yesterday, that HisExccl- lertcy'ij Secretary wasfairiy entitled to an augmentation of salary adequate to the responsibility of his trust, ft however had sint-c occupied to him, that the Gentleman in question had already the advantage ofseveral places of emolument. He was Deputy JudKo ot the Court of Vice Admiralty. He was Cork in the fteioga- tivo Court, He was Deputy Judge Advocate. These situations surely must afford him a handsome salary. If. however, his pay Wits to be augnionteil as Secretary, it Wiis to be hojipd he would lie satisfied with Uiat Office alone. He thought the duties of a siii- S'^L'-'^'ilc sufflnt-'ot tor any one person, and to do justice to an Office ot thei.nportanceot that in question, the undivided atten- tion of its occupant was indispensably requisite. Mr. navuhnn obser\ed. that the accumulation of Offices which the Hon. Member for Huntingdon had noticed, ought, in his opinion, to inHiieiuf the House in grantii-.g the proposed aumnen- tationofsttlary to the (:ivil Sccretarj'. It might be verylegiti- m.-.tely -j-.i-i'sjini^-i Cl,; tlivv,.- ;;ia-.i,a h.sd bocn given lo that 'Guutie- rnan as a cpmpensation torthemcdiocrity of his saijirv as Secreta- ry, and he was rigli't in retaining them mitil more ample provision were made for the iinncipal office which he (icciiiiied. As for the .situation of Deputy .Tudge of the \ice Admiralty, he thought tjie rcflectwn unfair. He fejf himself justitied in the asscrtfon PARL. REGISTER. 58 Geo. III. 1818 — Committee on tfie Civil List, [SO ■ that his performance of the duties of that office, were purely gra- IJuftor- that he had undertaken them to ob ige a friend, and llrSe ought not to be reflected upon. WitS rwpcct to o her llXrwhich had been alluded to. he admitted thatUiey might, at lffutu,rS^ ion? be the proper Bubjcct of disc-us-sion but that the itlvanwd period of the present Session, was such as to preclude a IXiblH^of their being able to bestow that attention which the liuiyeet unquestionably deserved. air riser spoke at very considerable length on the fubjcet, and ^ ^.ifninn that the Civil List required scrutiny ; but that the Son C ?^ f«r aiva^ced to en^r upon so interesting a topic SeMion ««">"''•' in- ^ a definitive adjustment. Mr. V. with «">' P^.^^*^^' °*„f^S a sum in lump, for the different de- aepreca ed «"« 'XYnmi ed it to be uncon^itutional. and that it ^"'■.Zrfford a mSrdimgerous precedent. He would specify m rBiil oflpp^^riatiol the exact sum which every functionary should receive. ... Mr VavfeUon was of opinion, that the House ought to adopt .u„ *^vn LTst aV^tstood. notwitlwtanding the many unpertections ILV, k contS, a^^^^ ^ere univlrsally acknowfedpd. . I were 'i"'"'''-";';' ,^"Xo "kd"Z the inutility 2f the Mtuation of carte f ■./,'«• ^°'P " nTsSde aUogether those u-andalous re- ^J!,fl wh ch the bare mention of tLt situation must suggest. ?f*',rnon the wWe disposed to adopt the Civil list, !is it now V n.' hK wouTdn the ensuing Scsiion, most heartily concur ntrencWng^hat could not but be eonaidered by their consutu- cnts as the height of impositwn. ,r r, -.^^«fo«.il lirirelv into the Establishment of the Se- ^'-K^^whi^hSild no bit consid as overgrown-He wa., cretana^ which hecou a reduced-and expatiated upon wUrrconc^Ud to-be the indisputable and constitutional mo^WeTfor adopting tha mode ot proceeding. N B ITie Debates upon the Civil Liiit occupied the attention of the House from the i;6th»mtil the 31st of March inclusively, when the Resolution of the latter day terminated the business. 3lst March, 1818. Mr Taschereau moved, seconded by Mr. Bellet, that an hum- il» AddreM be^iresentedto His Excellency the Governor in OuerrSscnting*IIi^ Excellency, that the House hav.ng Ciller, n-prcM-uui e Excel'encv s recommendation on iKbTect'or h^^ S^^ if the Ciil Government of .hi, I'rovhicefor the year 1818, have voted a sum not exceeding !• or- IV -muiind T vo Hundred and »''^'y-'J'''%^'°}'T:,.t'^^ S^illin^^indninc Pence Currency, towards defraying the Ex- ShilUngs »n" n!";,. Government of this Province for the year Isir'exlsKe of he r/sXady appropriated by Law -But h^t Ihe pJ li ar ircumstanccs which '''»ve F«vented the Hou^e ,xl rec^ivipgat an earli^^^^^^^^^^^ t - ^-f,^ "l^^"" ^^J^'}. SJ^.nWv-th^ee pounds ei^ht shillings a.Ml nine pence cur- r.^v be t'Ven out if any of the unapprop ited nionies, which To^vC. or hereafter ma/be. in the hands oi the Receiver Oc- re^l if this Province, for the purposes aforesaid ; and a»ur ng ir^Excellency. that this House will make good the same at the 1 c\t Session of the Provincial I'arliament. After some debate, it was resolved accordingly. Yeas 16— Inlays 2. Mr. Ctn»i i.t al Representative of the People of Lower Canada hf h^'-f t h. i- self' obliged to institute an inquiry upon a subject which deepK concerned the individuals who were employed tn he trade of tbo Chan Territories under this Act^The '''^^'\t^l^^'^'^.uo uioposed, would ho apprehended tend to prove that the.e «as o cciproci y of interests' or pf obligations between the l^-^^l^^^^ the servauts-Thatthe «holc advantage lay with the former while the alter were notdnly frequently wronged but were entirely un- protcc^d"g«instthe tyranny exercised against them under co- our o f the i\ct alluded to-Hc proposed in fact to develop the ysun upon wWch the tr.^lo in the ^iorth West Country was car^ Knby certain Fur traders to the detriment and rmn of the Wortunate pcH,ple employed in their service, whose dcinorahz.ng effqcts W9ie so sensibly felt in this Province. The Act above mentioned had enabled the persons to whom ho alluded tc monopoUze the trade to the Indian lemtories to the uttir exclusion if all others His Majesty's Canadian Subjects-- HeUievcd the result of the proposed •■•>'q""7;vou Id tend to a .nnvirton of the necessity of the repeal or modihcation of that \"":'t"?"„? « "Lvn^ .eoresentation to His Majesty's Ministers oti the subject of the" trade in question, to imiuce Ihe.u to .i^opt TmniSand effectual measures to prevent the evils wising from tije We vf •tf^"'s in th^; Indian C'yuiim«s. 513 PARL. I^GISTER, 58 Geo. IH. ms.^P^^orcgalion of the Legishture, H WtDxitROAy, itt April, 1814. ThiB House of Aftembly net purauant to a^jouraraent at the Cutle of St. Lewi*, wid a McMage was received, requiring its praaence in the Legislative Council Cbamtier, then also assembled •t the Caatle. The House having gone up, His lixcellency the Governor in Chief Was ^deaaed togive the Koyal Assent to the following Bills t An Ace to authorize Je«n Tholnas Tauhereau, Esquire, and others therein mentioned, to erect a Toll Bridge over the River Erdieniint, in the Parish of St. Claire, in the County Of DBrehttter. An Act to authorise William Hall, Esqnire, to build a Toll bridge over the River £cchemins, at the Lower Ford, in the Parish of St. Henry, in the County of Dorchester. An Act to amend an Ait passed in the 46th year of His Ma- jesty's relgd, intituled, •♦ Aa Act to repeal an Ordinance diide and pasted in the S^ch year of His iVIajesty's reign, intituled, " An Ordinance to prevent the exporcatlon of dn- " merchantable Flour, and the false taring of Bread and Flour [55 An Act tor the encouneement of A^riculturt in this Province. An Act to provide for the Police of certain Borouehs add ViK lagej. • An Act to authorise the appointment of Commissioners, fori the miprovement of the communication by water with Uo- per-Canada. *^ ^^.J^^\ '?'" "'*^'''8« temporary provision for the regoktion of! 1 rade between this Province and the United States of Ame- nca, by land or by inland navigation. An Act to grant a certain inm of money, for the purpose of repairing the Common Gaol of the District of ynebecT An Act to eitend the provisions of an Act passed in the 34th i year of His Majesty's reign, intituled, " An Act for the ita. vision of the Province of Lower-Canada, for an<«ndi«>« the Judicature thereof, and for repealing certain l.aws i^rein mentioned, and to provide more effectually for the adminis. tration of justice in this Province." iuiiit.ii«uMuic i:iuur,aiiu uiciniHianiig oi oreaa ana r lour ti, * „ Casks, to r«fgulate the packing and inspection ol Flour and , J • , ""' '"» *'«'^ reserved for tlie signification of His Ma. Indian Meal, and to orovide for the atcertaininir rhi. 0...1;. J**^' * ?'«'»'»*• ** Indian Meal, and to provide for the ascertaining the quali ** ty of BiKoit in future." An Act to grant to the Religious Ladies, Hoipiialitret, of the Mttel Biiu of Quebec, a certain sum of money, for the pur* poses therein mentioned. An Act to authorize Walter Davidson, Esquire, to erect a Toll Bridge over the River Chaudiire, below the Great Falls ot the said River. An Act to extend the provisions of an Act therein mentioned, and to gratit a certain sum of money more effectually to pro- vide for the relief of infirm and insane persons, and for the support of fowidlinge. An Act to ratify and confirm the Provisional Articles of Agree- ment entered into by the respective Cotmnissiooers of this Province and of Upj>er-Caoada, at Motjtreal, on the 3Ut day of Mar, 1817, relative to Duties, and for carrying the same into effect. An Act to authorize Francois Verrault, Esquire, to build a I. L'°J*P^' ■"•' "™*"^ ""»'" P««» "' »n Act passed in til A ^•*'" "f ^'* M»j««ycreign, intituled, "An Act for the division of the Province of Lowei^Canada, for amend- ing the Judicature thereof, and for repealing certain Laws therein mentioned," in as much as the same relates to Writs ot Habeat Ccrput, An Act for the encouragement and promotion of Education in the Country Parishes of this Province. *°°«»"«'° « An Act for the establishment of a Bank in the City of Mont- real, in the Province of Lower-Canada. The Session was then closed with the following Speech : GenOemen e/* the Legislative Council, Gentlemen of the House ^f Asswnbly, The assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to II rt« 10 auuionze rran9ois verrauic, esquire, to Duild a -™— ..7 nmi nuiui yon nave appitea yourselves to Toll Bridge over the River Etchemins, in the Parish of Saint '•>* PuW'C business brought before you, puts it now in mv Henry, near the Church of the said Parish. oower to doM fh» .,,„»,,,.-.4 c-..: ._ ._j ., ^ Henry, near the Church of the said Parish. An Act to authorize Frangois Verrault, Esquire, to build a Toll Bridge over the River (Jhaudiere, in the Parish of St. Marie de la Nouvelle Beauce, near the Church oC the said Parish, in the County of Dorchester. An Act to authorize William Hall, Esquire, to build a Toll Bridge over the Great Branch of the River St. Frasfois, near the line of separation betweite the Townships of Uudswell and Westbury, in the County of Buckinghamshire. An Act to authorize Claude Diin^chau, Enquire, and Joseph Fraier, Esquire, to erect a Toll Bridge over the River for the rcgubtioD of I 'dited Statea of Amc> [ ', for the purpote of I uict of gnebec. ct piMed in the 34tli " An Act for the iN. | Ja, for 8n\«ndit)^ the certikin L>aw» tJ>eretn uaily hr the adoiiiiii> nifieation of His Ma, t of an Act pasted in intituled, " An Act ^Canada, for amend- peating Certain Law* ame relate* to Writ* tion of Education in D the City of Mont- Hng Speech : pplted yourtelvei to puts it now in my I to enable you to n jiMtice, were I to sfaction with which I your proceeding*, ey have been con- Jr zeal and patriot- vledgments. "or the ready libel >lie*forthe curreu: I the applrcation of I will be guided by le Session, are Ta- he welfare of the government under F you now, I feel districts, you will ne good principle! uct, and that your them equally int»