to their own affairs than engage in the dull routine of public business. When Mr Dunn prorogued the House, on the 19th of April, he expressed his dissatisfaction with this state of things. "The necessary business," said he, "has not been completed, which would not be the case had not so many members declined giving their customary attendance."

Hitherto the newspapers of Canada had been exclusively owned and conducted by persons of British origin, who, as a mere matter of course, were far from being friendly to French laws or customs. However prudent the different editors might be, their articles were undoubtedly biased by their feelings and their prejudices, and the educated portion of the French-Canadian population felt the want of an organ which would represent their own opinions, and repel the aspersions of the other journals. This feeling led to the publication of a newspaper, Le Canadien, exclusively in the French language, the first number of which was issued at Quebec in the month of November. Had this journal restricted itself to a moderate and sensible advocacy of French-Canadian interests and opinions, matters would have gone on smoothly. But, instead of pursuing this course, it appealed to national prejudices, and regarded the British emigrants as strangers and intruders. Being conducted with ability it soon became popular, and commenced the reign of agitation and discord between the two races subsequently productive of so much injury to the province.*

Sir Robert S. Milnes, the Lieutenant-Governor of the province, and the Governor-General continuing absent, Mr Dunn 1807. again convened the Legislature on the 21st of January, and congratulated them on the capture of the Cape of Good Hope, and the other successes which had distinguished the arms of Great Britain in the war with France and her allies. In responding to this address the Assembly expressed their appreciation of Mr Dunn's personal worth, in very handsome and well-merited terms. The session was chiefly distinguished by a motion to obtain an allowance for the expenses of the members residing at a distance from Quebec, which was negatived by a majority of two, sixteen voting against it and fourteen in its favour; and for the election of Mr Ezekiel Hart, a Jew, by the people of Three Rivers. On the 19th of October, Lieutenant-General Sir James H. Craig, who had been appointed to succeed General Prescott as Governor-General of British North America, arrived at Quebec, and immediately assumed charge of the government.

* Christie, vol. i. p. 252.

P

THE GOVERNMENT OF SIR JAMES H. CRAIG.

On the 29th of January, the Governor proceeded in state to open the Legislature, and was loudly cheered by the assembled 1808. crowd.* His speech on the occasion contained little that was remarkable, and was responded to in courteous terms by the House.

A feeling had gradually arisen in the province, and was now very generally diffused, that the judges of the different courts should not be eligible for election to the Assembly. A bill was accordingly introduced to carry out this object, which was, however, negatived by the Legislative Council. The next measure of the Commons was to unseat Mr Hart, the member for Three Rivers, on the grounds of his being a Jew, although there was nothing in the Constitution to warrant such a course. He was again re-elected by that constituency; but only, however, to be unseated the second time. The militia bill was continued till repealed; and the alien act, and the act for the better preservation of his Majesty's government, were passed, for one year. On the whole this session, which terminated the fourth Parliament, pleased the Governor, who signified his approval when proroguing the Legislature on the 14th of April.

The general election took place in May. Panet, the speaker of the last Assembly, was rejected by one of the constituencies of Quebec, in consequence of his connexion with the Canadien newspaper, but was returned in another quarter. Matters progressed quietly the remainder of the year, and during which Parliament was not called together. An annual session was then deemed sufficient in both provinces for the transaction of business.

On the 9th of April, in the following spring, the new Assembly was convened. It was generally expected that Mr Panet would 1809. again be elected speaker, an office he had filled during the four preceding Parliaments, and considerable curiosity was excited as to whether the Governor, in that case, would assent to the choice of the Assembly. He wisely confirmed Panet's election, although, as had been anticipated, not in very gracious terms.

Craig was slow, sedate, and solemn, and a different person altogether from Mr Gore, now Governor of Upper Canada, whose speeches to its Legislature were alike short and slipshod. Gore was a bon vivant, and on one occasion while making merry with his friends, the House passed a resolution he did not like, and he vowed, "he would send the rascals about their business." A few hours' sleep did not alter his determination; and next morning he was proceeding alone, and en deshabille, to prorogue the House, with a shoe on one foot and a boot on another. Fortunately he was met by a friend, who persuaded him to return and proceed to the Legislature in a more respectable trim.

In his opening speech to the Legislature, General Craig alluded, among other matters, to the prosperous condition of the province, owing chiefly to the impetus given to the lumber trade by the American embargo on all intercourse with Great Britain. He regretted being obliged to call the House together at that busy period of the year, but excused himself on the ground of public expediency. Some of his remarks implied an indirect censure on the members, and were unfavourably received.

The question of the eligibility of judges for election to the Assembly was again taken up, as well as the expulsion of Mr Hart, who had been elected a third time. A bill was introduced to disqualify Jews from a seat in the House, but five weeks had already elasped when it underwent a second reading. General Craig's patience became exhausted; and regarding the Legislature as a refractory body who had not a proper sense of their duty, he went down in state from the castle of St Louis, on the 15th of May, and dissolved the Assembly in terms of unmeasured censure. At the same time he complimented the Legislative Council for their general good conduct.

In the ensuing month the Governor made a tour of the principal towns of the province, was well received, and presented with several very complimentary addresses, which were criticised with consider able asperity by the Canadien. The elections took place in October, when the recent representatives, or others still more opposed to the wishes of the executive, were returned. The Governor had gained nothing by his arbitrary policy.

While the public mind was still disturbed by the disagreement between the stern old general and the refractory Assembly, John Molson, an enterprising and spirited merchant of Montreal, was busily engaged in fitting out the first steamer that ever ploughed the waters of the St Lawrence. On the 3d of November, this ever-tobe-remembered little craft got up steam, shot out into the current, and after a voyage of thirty-six hours' sailing arrived safely at Quebec, where the whole city crowded to have a look at the nautical phe"The steamboat Accommodation has arrived," said the old Mercury, in the fulness of its wonderment, "with ten passengers. ... No wind or tide can stop her. The price of a passage is nine dollars up, and eight down. The wheels are put, and kept, in motion by steam operating within the vessel." Fulton's first steamboat navigated the Hudson, the Accommodation cleaved the more magnificent waters of the St Lawrence. A new light had burst upon the mind of Canada; a fresh impetus had seized upon her prosperity.

nomenon.

It was highly creditable to the province that the second steamer built on this continent was launched at Montreal.

The new Assembly met on the 29th of January, when Panet was again elected speaker, and confirmed in that office by the 1810. Governor, whose opening speech was formal as usual. He alluded to the probable war with the United States, to the necessity of checking the forging of bills of exchange, touched upon the dissolution of the last Assembly, and declared himself prepared to give assent "to any proper bill for rendering his Majesty's judges of the Court of King's Bench ineligible in future to a seat in the House."

The conciliatory tone of the speech gave fresh courage to the Commons of Lower Canada. "The Governor had incurred the displeasure of the Home Ministry," it was said, "by his arbitrary conduct," so the Assembly now determined to become arbitrary in turn. By a vote of twenty-four to eleven they decided by resolution, "that the executive's approving the conduct of one part of the Legislature, and censuring that of the other, was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution, a breach of their privileges, and dangerous to the rights and liberties of his Majesty's subjects in the province. At the same time, an address was voted to the King, breathing the most ardent and devoted loyalty. The Assembly likewise offered to defray the expenses of the civil list, now amounting to some £50,000 annually. This offer was coolly received by the Governor, and as Parliament was dissolved before the estimates were laid before it, no action for the present was taken thereon. The breaking out of war postponed its subsequent consideration.

Meanwhile, a bill had been introduced in the Assembly to disqualify judges from sitting there, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, who returned it with the amendment that it was not to come into force during the present Parliament. The Assembly now became indignant, and declared the seat of Mr De Bonne, a judge, vacant by a vote of eighteen to six. This brought matters to a crisis; and down came the resolute old general to dissolve them again. He was loudly cheered by the people, who were more amused than otherwise by these novel occurrences, and the military promptitude of their veteran Governor. The late members, however, aided by their friends, soon took measures to arouse another feeling in the minds of the multitude. Songs and pasquinades, suited to the vulgar taste, were written and circulated; while the Canadien became more abusive than ever. The breach became wider and wider every day. The colonists of British origin, almost to a man,

ranged themselves on the side of the despotic Governor: those of French descent stood up for the more constitutional Assembly.

Lower Canada at this period had five newspapers: four of these favoured the Government and the British minority, while Le Canadien, the smallest of the lot, was the sole advocate of the majority. Its tongue cut keen, and it stoutly stood its ground, although there were four to one. This will never do, thought the Governor and his council, insubordination must not be permitted in the ranks, and an election approaching. So, on the 17th of March, a party of soldiers, headed by a magistrate and two constables, proceeded to the office of Le Canadien, seized the press, and all the papers they could find, and conveyed them to the vaults of the city court-house. Lefrançois, the unlucky printer, was also pounced upon; and after an examination before the executive council, committed to prison. The guards were strengthened, patrols scoured the streets, and a miniature "Reign of Terror" had begun. Six French-Canadian gentlemen were apprehended a few days afterwards on a charge of treasonable practices, and the simple habitants looked for the revelation of some terrible conspiracy. But nothing was discovered. The presumed conspirators were released one after another without trial as time progressed; and although the Governor issued a proclamation, as tedious as one of his parliamentary speeches, on the 21st March, little ever came out of the business.

This despotic and unconstitutional conduct, on the part of the executive, merely daunted the habitants for the moment. Time had inoculated them with a portion, at least, of the spirit of British freemen, and they determined on an independent exercise of their franchise. The old members of the Assembly for the most part were re-elected, Panet was again chosen speaker, and the Governor once more submitted to stern necessity, and confirmed him in that capacity.

A third dissolution would scarcely have been orthodox parliamentary usage, so the Governor met the new Assembly in a more conciliatory spirit, and the members, disliking the idea of being unceremoniously turned out of doors a third time, Cromwell fashion, were disposed to conduct themselves more amiably. A sly war of words took place between the belligerents, but the Assembly passed, however, the measures recommended by the Governor, with unusual speed, and among which was "the continuation of the act for the better preservation of his Majesty's government," under which the late arrests had been made, and under which, also, Mr Bedard, one of their number, was still held in durance. The medicine was de