6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 and hatched there, The expence of a Lieut Governor will be a Trifle, I am positive for some years it will not exceed what will be necessary to procure intelligence in that District, This will be saved if a Man of Authority, Diligence and Observation is at the Head of it on the Spots and I do from the Zeal I have for his Majestys Service and the conviction of my heart, declare, that M2 Cramahé is the fittest man I know to fill that place; I am at least certain no body can be appointed who will be more agreeable to the new Subjects I have the Hon' to be with the greatest truth & regard. My Lords, The Lords of Trade & Plant", (Signed) P.S. I have been informed that Messrs Willm Mackenzie Alex' Mckenzie and Willm Grant have been solliciting their Friends in London to prevail upon your Lordships to get them admitted into his Majesty's Council of this Province. I think it my Duty to acquaint your Lordships that the first of these Men is a notorious smugler and a Turbulent Man, the second a weak Man of Little character and the third a conceited Boy. In short it will be impossible to do Business with any of them The Lords of Trade & Plantations (signed) JA: MURRAY PETITION OF THE QUEBEC TRADERS.1 To the King's Most Excellent Majesty The Humble Petition of Your Majesty's most faithful and loyal Subjects, British Merchants and Traders in behalf of themselves and their fellow Subjects, Inhabitants of your Majesty's Province of Quebec MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY. Confident of Your Majesty's Paternal Care and Protection extended even to the meanest and most distant of your Subjects, We humbly crave your Majesty's Gracious Attention to our present Grievances and Distresses We presume to hope that your Majesty will be pleased to attribute our approaching your Royal Throne with disagreeable Complaints, to the Zeal and Attachment we have to your Majesty's Person and Government, and for the Liberties & Priviledges with which your Majesty has indulged all your Dutifull Subjects. Our Settlement in this Country with respect to the greatest part of us; takes it's date from the Surrender of the Colony to your Majestys Arms; Since that Time we have much contributed to the advantage of our Mother 1 Canadian Archives; vol. B 8, p. 6. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 Country, by causing an additional Increase to her Manufactures, and by a considerable Importation of them, diligently applied ourselves to Investigate and promote the Commercial Interests of this Province and render it flourishing To Military Government, however oppressive and severely felt, we submitted without murmur, hoping Time with a Civil Establishment would remedy this Evil With Peace we trusted to enjoy the Blessings of British Liberty, and happily reap the fruits of our Industry: but we should now despair of ever attaining those desirable ends, had we not Your Majesty's experienced Goodness to apply to. The Ancient Inhabitants of the Country impoverished by the War, had little left wherewith to purchase their common necessaries but a Paper Currency1 of very doubtfull Value: The Indian War2 has suspended our Inland Trade for two years past, and both these Causes united have greatly injured our Commerce. For the redress of which we repose wholly on your Majesty, not doubting but the Wisdom of your Majesty's Councils will in due time put the Paper Currency into a Course of certain and regular Payment, and the Vigour of Your Majesty's Arms terminate that War by a peace advantageous and durable. We no less rely on your Majesty for the Redress of those Grievances we suffer from the Measures of Government practised in this your Majesty's Province, which are The Deprivation of the open Trade declared by your Majesty's most gracious Proclamation, by the Appropriation of some of the most commodious Posts of the Resort of the Savages, under the Pretext of their being your Majesty's private Domain. The Enacting Ordinances Vexatious, Oppressive, unconstitutional, injurious to civil Liberty and the Protestant Cause. Suppressing dutifull and becoming Remonstrances of your Majesty's Subjects against these Ordinances in Silence and Contempt. The Governor instead of acting agreeable to that confidence reposed in him by your Majesty, in giving a favorable Reception to those of your Majesty's Subjects, who petition and apply to him on such important Occasions as require it, doth frequently treat them with a Rage and Rudeness of Language and Demeanour, as dishonorable to the Trust he holds of your Majesty as painful to those who suffer from it. His further adding to this by most flagrant Partialities, by formenting Parties and taking measures to keep your Majesty's old and new Subjects ! This paper currency was issued by the Intendants under the French Regime, and especially by the last of them, the notorious Bigot. Its redemption by the French Government was at this time the subject of special negotiations. Pontiac's Rebellion. For the previous condition of these posts, see Murray's Report of 1762, p. 54. 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 divided from one another, by encouraging the latter to apply for Judges of their own National Language. His endeavouring to quash the Indictment against Claude Panet (his Agent in this Attempt who laboured to inflame the Minds of the People against your Majesty's British Subjects) found by a very Worthy Grand Inquest, and causing their other judicious and honest Presentments to be answered from the Bench with a Contemptuous Ridicule. This discountenancing the Protestant Religion by almost a Total Neglect of Attendance upon the Service of the Church, leaving the Protestants to this Day destitute of a place of Worship appropriated to themselves. The Burthen of these Grievances from Government is so much the more severely felt, because of the natural Poverty of the Country; the Products of it been extremely unequal to support its Consumption of Imports. Hence our Trade is miserably confined and distressed, so that we lye under the utmost Necessity of the Aids and Succours of Government, as well from Our Mother Country as that of the Province, in the Place of having to contend against Oppression and Restraint. We could enumerate many more Sufferings which render the Lives of your Majesty's Subjects, especially your Majesty's loyal British Subjects, in the Province so very unhappy that we must be under the Necessity of removing from it, unless timely prevented by a Removal of the present Governor. Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray your Majesty to take the Premises into your gracious Consideration, and to appoint a Governor over us, acquainted with other maxims of Government than Military only; And for the better Security of your Majesty's dutiful and loyal Subjects, in the Possession and Continuance of their Rights and Liberties, we beg leave also most humbly to petition that it may please your Majesty, to order a House of Representatives to be chosen in this as in other your Majesty's Provinces; there being a number more than Sufficient of Loyal and well affected Protestants, exclusive of military Officers, to form a competent and respectable House of Assembly; and your Majesty's new Subjects, if your Majesty shall think fit, may be allowed to elect Protestants without burdening them with such Oaths as in their present mode of thinking they cannot conscientiously take. We doubt not but the good Effects of these measures will soon appear, by the Province becoming flourishing and your Majesty's People in it happy. And for Your Majesty and your House your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray, &ca &ca The humble Petition of your Majesty's most dutiful Subjects, the Merchants and others now residing in London Interested in and trading unto the Province of Canada in North America, on behalf of themselves and others trading to and Interested in the said Colonys by way of Supplement to the Petition hereunto annexed Intitled the humble Petition of your Majesty's most faithful and Loyal Subjects British Merchants and Traders in behalf of themselves and their fellow Subjects Inhabiting your Majesty's Province of Quebec MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, We whose names are hereunto subscribed do most humbly certify to your Majesty that Several of us have in our possession a Variety of Original Letters from divers of our Friends and correspondents now residing in Canada and whose names are not subscribed to the Address annexed which confirm the truth of the several Allegations contained in the said Address. We do verily believe the said Allegations to be true and doubt not but in due time shall be enabled to prove the same when your Majesty in your great wisdom shall think proper to direct. And from the said Original Letters in our possession we do likewise believe that the said Address would have been signed by almost all your Majesty's British as well as French subjects in Canada but for fear of incurring the displeasure and resentment of such of your Majesty's Officers and Servants as may deem themselves reflected upon thereby. We therefore most humbly join with our fellow Subjects of Canada in their Petition to your Majesty and further most humbly pray. That the Government of those your Majesty's Dominions may be at least put upon the same footing with the rest of your Majesty's American Colonies or upon any other footing that may be thought Essential for the preservation of the Lives Liberties and Properties of all your Majesty's 'Canadian Archives; vol. B 8, p. 10. 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 most faithfull Subjects as well as for the increase and support of the Infant Commerce to and from that Part of the World. And Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &c. &c. &c. REPORT OF ATTY. AND SOL. GEN. RE STATUS OF ROMAN CATHOLIC SUBJECTS.1 To the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIPS, In Obedience to your Lordships Commands Signifyed to me by Mr Pownall's Letter of the 7 Instant, directing us to consider, and Report to your Lordships our Opinion, whether His Majesty's Subjects, being Roman Catholicks, and residing in the Countries, ceded to His Majesty, in America, by the Definitive Treaty of Paris, are, or are not subject, in those Colonies, to the incapacities, disabilities, and Penalties, to which Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom, are subject by the Laws thereof; We have taken Mr Pownall's Letter into our Consideration, and are humbly of Opinion, that His Majesty's Roman Catholick Subjects residing in the Countries, ceded to His Majesty in America, by the Definitive Treaty of Paris, are not subject, in those Colonies, to the Incapacities, disabilities, and Penalties, to which Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom are subject by the Laws thereof. All which is humbly submitted to Your Lordships Consideration FL NORTON Lincolns Inn 10th June 1765 Endorsed:-Copy of the Attorney and Sollicitor Generals Report 1 Canadian Archives, Dartmouth Papers; M 383, p. 69. |