should be translated into French, and vice versa, before being put, and that each member should have the privilege of using his mothertongue when addressing the House. As the session progressed the subject of education was taken up, and an address voted to 1793. the King praying for the establishment of a Canadian college, as well as another address of a loyal character, when intelligence was received of the breaking out of war with the French Republic. Beyond this, little business of importance was transacted, and the members being weary of attendance, General Clarke, after giving assent to eight bills, prorogued the House in the beginning of May, when they all gladly returned to their respective avocations.

While constitutional liberty thus gradually developed itself in this country, events were transpiring in the Old World of the deepest importance to civilised humanity. The American colonies had largely contributed to win Canada from France, and thus paved the way for their own independence. To achieve that independence, France, in revenge, gave most important assistance. Her conduct in this matter precipitated the revolutionary crisis, originating in the national poverty and distress, brought Louis XVI. to the scaffold, and drove the iniquitous House of Bourbon forth as fugitives. The French soldiers, whilst fighting in the cause of American liberty, had gradually imbibed the principles of their allies, and returned to their native country to disseminate the arguments of Otis, of Franklin, and of Jefferson, in favour of the inherent rights of man. However much the bulk of the British nation might have sympathised, at the commencement of the French Revolution, with the struggles of a gallant people for a larger measure of liberty, the horrid atrocities of the Jacobins soon produced a most unfavourable impression on their minds. A hostile feeling on both sides was engendered. France declared war against England, and the latter stood forth as the champion of legitimacy and aristocracy, and issued a counter-declaration of hostilities against the new republic. From that period, till Bonaparte became a prisoner at St Helena, Great Britain was destined to be a stranger to the blessings of peace, and to spend countless treasure in forcing a sovereign on a people by whom he was afterwards speedily rejected.

But although this long war militated seriously against the prosperity of Canada, and checked emigration thither from the mothercountry, she was happily exempt from its evils otherwise; and in the enjoyment of a greater degree of liberty, was left to develop her resources as she best might. In the present age, when our rivers and lakes are covered with floating palaces, which traverse

their waters at the rate frequently of twenty miles an hour; when railroads annihilate space, and the electric telegraph speaks with the rapidity of the lightning's flash, it is difficult to form an accurate idea of the condition of matters in Canada sixty years ago, or to imagine what a "slow people" our Canadian ancestors were. It took a month for the mail to travel from New York to Quebec ; the same period was necessary for the transmission of letters to Halifax; and four months must expire before an answer to a communication could be looked for from England. A mail from Montreal twice a month to the New England States, was regarded as quite a progressive event; now the inhabitants of every little hamlet in Canada would grumble if they did not receive their letters and newspapers at least three times a week. Still, with all these disadvantages, the commerce and prosperity of Canada were steadily on the increase, and from ninety to one hundred vessels, from British and foreign ports, annually visited Quebec,† while the net annual revenue of the Lower Province, from lands, customs' duties, and licences, was a little less than £5000 sterling.‡

*

The prudent legislators of Lower Canada in those days travelled fully as slowly and cautiously through the public business as the mail bags journeyed to Halifax or New York. Lord Dorchester arrived from England on the 24th September, and assumed the reins of government. On the 11th of November he opened the second session of Parliament; it sat till the 23d May in 1794. the ensuing year, when it was prorogued after the royal assent had been given to five bills. One more bill had indeed been passed, relative to a change in the judicature, which was reserved for the royal pleasure. Emissaries from France had arrived in Canada to propagate revolutionary principles, so the Assembly, in the fulness of its loyalty, levelled one of its bills against aliens who inculcated treason, and gave the Governor large powers to ferret out and punish such persons.

The next session commenced in the January following, when for the first time the public accounts were laid before the 1795. Assembly. From these it appeared that the expenses of the civil administration of the province amounted to £19,985 sterling annually. To defray this sum the revenue was wholly inadequate; £5000 sterling were all the Assembly could give, the remainder had to be supplied by the mother-country. In the year ending January 1796, the revenue of the province had largely increased, and amounted to £10,425 currency, while Quebec Gazette, 20th December 1792. + Ibid.

1796.

Christie, vol. i. p. 152.

the public expenditure was £24,711, including £1205 paid to Upper Canada, as the proportion of the duties levied on her imports at the ports of Montreal and Quebec.

On the 7th of May the first Parliament of Lower Canada closed its final session. Lord Dorchester declared himself highly satisfied with the course it had pursued. "In expressing my approbation of your proceedings," said he, addressing both Houses, "I must further observe that the unanimity, loyalty, and disinterestedness manifested by this first Provincial Parliament of Lower Canada have never been surpassed in any of his Majesty's colonies."

On the 9th of July Lord Dorchester took his final departure from Quebec, greatly to the regret of the inhabitants, all classes of whom presented him with addresses, couched in the warmest and most respectful language. From the first he had been a true friend to Canada; and its people had been largely indebted to his humanity, sound common sense, and love of constitutional liberty, for the comparatively happy condition in which they now found themselves.

THE GOVERNMENT OF MAJOR-GENERAL PRESCOTT.

On the departure of Lord Dorchester, Major-General Prescott assumed charge of the government of Lower Canada only, but was soon after created Governor-General. Writs for the general elec

tion had been already issued, and the new Parliament met 1797. on the 24th of January 1797. In his opening speech the Governor alluded to the recent treaty of commerce and navigation between Great Britain and the United States, as highly favourable to the province. "From the flourishing state of commerce," he observed, "amidst the hazards and obstructions of war, well founded hopes may be entertained of the future prosperity of the colony, when the blessings of peace shall be restored." The returns laid before the House showed that the revenue for the preceding year had risen to £18,975, while the civil expenses of the province were £25,380 currency.

During this year the first execution for high treason took place in Canada. David M‘Lean, a bankrupt American, formed a chimerical project of possessing himself of Quebec, and tampered with some of the inhabitants. His designs were discovered, and he was accordingly tried and sentenced to be hung as a traitor. With this ex

ception no event of much moment characterised the admin1799. istration of General Prescott, who, having obtained leave of absence, departed for England, much regretted by the inhabitants,

with whom he had become deservedly popular. Sir Robert Shore Milnes now assumed charge of the administration as LieutenantGovernor.

A contented community, blessed with peace and abundance in all its borders, presents but few occurrences of importance for 1800. the historian to record. In a community of this kind time glides smoothly on, like the placid stream whose current is rarely disturbed. Such was the state of things in Lower Canada at this period. All classes of the community were contented. The inhabitants of British origin felt they had all they could reasonably expect in a House of Assembly and a Legislative Council, while the population of French descent, in the full enjoyment of their language, their customs, and their religion, lived on in an easy and goodnatured existence which nothing disturbed. Meantime, the province was steadily progressing in population and wealth. Its civil expenditure had increased to about £30,000, but, at the same time, its revenue had risen to nearly £26,000 currency, so that the deficit was small in proportion to what it had been a few years before. The inhabitants showed their loyalty and devotion to Great Britain by contributing liberal sums to carry on the war.

During this year died Father Casot, the last of the Jesuits in Canada, and the large possessions of his order now devolved to Government. For many years the Father had bestowed his revenues in charitable purposes, and he was, therefore, bitterly regretted by the poor. Down to the present time the "Jesuits' estates" produce a separate government fund.

Slavery, although to a very limited extent, had hitherto existed in Canada. It prevailed during the long period of French dominion, and by Article 46 of the Capitulation of 1803. Montreal, in September 1760, it had been stipulated that the Negroes of both sexes should remain in their quality of slaves, and in the possession of their respective owners, with the privilege of selling them when deemed proper. In the census of 1784 the number of slaves in the districts of Montreal, Three Rivers, and Quebec, had been returned as three hundred and four. There is every reason to suppose that this number had decreased in the interval between that period and 1803, when the decision of ChiefJustice Osgoode, at Montreal, declared slavery inconsistent with the laws of the country, and gave freedom to the persons in that condition. From that day to this Canada has remained "free soil," untainted by slavery, and the sure place of refuge to the oppressed man of colour.

From 1803, to the departure of the Lieutenant-Governor, who was personally unpopular, for England in 1805, everything pro1805. gressed in the province with the greatest harmony. Trade continued to increase, and the revenue of the year ending in January amounted to £33,633; at the same time, the expenditure had risen to about £40,000 currency. One hundred and forty-six vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 25,136 tons, visited Quebec during the season.

Mr Dunn, being the senior executive councillor, assumed direction of the government on the departure of Sir Robert S. Milnes. His administration was distinguished for the first attempts to curb the liberty of the press in Canada. During the month of March a dinner was given by the merchants of Montreal to the representatives of the town and county, at which Isaac Todd presided. The proceedings were reported in the Montreal Gazette of the 1st April, and the House of Assembly, considering themselves glanced at 1806. by some of the toasts, voted at their ensuing session the publication a breach of privilege. They accordingly directed their sergeant-at-arms to proceed to Montreal, and take Mr Todd and the publisher of the Gazette, Mr Edwards, into custody. Neither of these gentlemen, however, could be found, and so the matter ended with respect to them. While these events were occurring in the Assembly the Quebec Mercury, in an article headed "French influence," criticised its illiberal proceedings in a manner highly distasteful to the members. The publisher, Mr Cary, was summoned to the bar of the House, and compelled to apologise "for having presumed to render an account of its proceedings," when he was released. In the present day, when the action of Parliament is so narrowly watched and criticised by the public press, the course pursued on this occasion must appear sufficiently despotic. But Canada was only imitating the mother country, where the press, at that period, was shackled by the most odious restrictions, and where the proceedings in Parliament dare not be published. Even in the present day reporters for the press are admitted to the Houses of Parliament in England, and also in Canada, by sufferance merely, and not as a matter of right, and may be excluded at any time they deem proper.

In those days the members of the Assembly were not paid for their services, and tenacious as they were of their privileges they could not be kept together for the transaction of business, which was frequently retarded for the want of a quorum. The novelty of legislation had evidently worn off; and, in the absence of excitement of any kind, many of the members preferred staying at home to attend