The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-25 00:00:00

THE COLONIES:

THE CANADA BILL
( From the Quebec Mercury.)
The Editor of the Quebec
Gazette versus Common Sense.
" Nothing could induce us Nothing can afford more
to think that the rnion of satisfactory evidence that an
" the Governments of the union of the Provinces of
" two Provinces into one Lower and Upper Canada un-
" was seriously intended, ex- der one Legislature is serious-
" cept the advices lately re- ly intended, than the advices
" ceived, viz. -That reference lately received, viz. That re-
" had been made to persons ference has been made to per-
" having a knowledge of the sons having a knowledge of
"country, for information to the country, to draw up a Bill
" draw up a Bill to that pur- for that purpose.
" pose." We sincerely think that
"We sincerely think that this measure will merit and
"no measure could meet eventual/ obtain the decided
" with more decided and approbation of every indivi-
" general disapprobation from dual in both Provinces, whose
" the people of Lower Ca- capacity enables him to form
" nada. ' a just judgment on the sub-'
• , jest, and whose principles in-
' ciine bins to wish for an in.
dissoluble union between
these provinces and the parent
State.
" The acts granting the The. Act granting the pre-
"present constitution must sent Constitution to these
"be repealed, and another Colonies must, of course; be
" Act passed in their stead ; modified by a new one ; and
"if we are to rely upon re- in framing a new Act, the
" port, this Act will some- imperial Parliament will
" what vary from that be utterly inexcusable if it
" which gives us the Consti- does not secure the casual,
" tution we now live under ; territorial and permanent
" for it is said that -the Impe- revenue of the crown, and,
"Ha Parliament is to raise at the same time, establish
" taxes for. the support of the such fiscal regulations as
" Civil Government of the will, without burthening the
" Colony." subject, afford more ample
means for the support of the
Civil Government of the Co-
lony.
" 'We would simply wish to We should be simple indeed,
" know what are the advan- did we pretend to deny that in-
" sages to be gained by such numerable advantages will be
"an union. It is said-that gained by such an iMon ; but
" considerable expenses will it is not necessary to calculate
"be saved. In as far as re- these by the penny. It can,
" Bards the mother country, not justly be said that the civil,
"an union will not probably officers of these colonies have
" save one penny.. The civil hitherto been paid by the colo-
" officers of the colonies are vies, though it is an unde-
" paid by the colonies : they niable fact that the duties im-
" alone will be diminished in posed on articles imported at-
" number ; and it requires Quebec,,have for several years
" neither an union, nor any past produced a sum far ex-
" thing of the kind, to reduce ceediug what is required to
" the military establishments pay the salaries of all the al-
" which alone are paid by the cers of government in both
", mother country. It is al- provinces and• no system can
" leged, however, 'that the be devised which is better cal-
" lower province is ever feed- culated to prevent one province
" ing-upon the upper province from feeding upon the other
"by a system of levying duties than that of uniting bothnn-
"at theport of Quebec, which der one legislature.
" are not recovered on the en- With the military expenses
" trance of the goods in.o Up- we have nothing to do, nor
" per-Canada, and this will shall we, till we declare our-
"be set at rest; and can this selves independent.
" not be settled without an
" union ? Is there no sim-

pler remedy than an innova.
" tion of which the -come.

" queues are not easily fore-
" seen ? Why not establish
" a Custom-house where draw-
" backs will be regularly
" lowed ?" -

"It strikes us, that if there It strikes as, that thereneVPr
" were 'any necessity for two was any necessity for two Go-
" Governments in the year vernments, and that, in order
44 1791, there is more necessity to cure the evils naturally re-
" after the population has in- suiting from the people of Up-
" creased, and the country ex-. per and Lower Canada being
" tended. Besides, the people essentially unconnected by ha-
"of Upper and Lower Canada bits, language, and religion,
" are essentially unconnected with each other, a re-union of
"by habits and religion with the provinces is absolutely np-
" each other. Each will be cessary, as the want of such
" fearful of losing that politi- connexion must tend to weaken
" cal influence in its Councils, both, &to diminish their power
"to which it attributes some to resist a common enemy.
" share of its welfare, and
" when in one representative
" body, each will probably

" have. very distinci views,
" which will gradually lead
" into formal opposition."
"As a matter of mereprac- As a matter of mere practi-
" ticability, is not the measure cability, the measure is by no
" attended with insitrmount- means attended with incur-
" able obstacles ? If it is in- mountable obstacles. We may
" tended to remove the seat of be assured that the seat of Go-
" Government to Montreal, vernment, or rather the meet.
" (which we have heard only ings of the Legislative Bodies,_
" upon conjecture), must not will be established at such
". that place be fortified at place as shall be found most
" great expence to Great Bri- advisable under existing cir;
" tam ? Is it not within a curnstances, and as' the ex-
" day's march of the Amen- pence to be incurred by Great
" can line ? and cannot every Britain in fortifying such place
" supply from' the Mother will go into the pockets of his
" Country, be intercepted, if Majesty's loving subjects in
" the enemy occupy. any one this province, instead of being
" foot of the roads leading taken out of them, we can have'
" from Quebec to that place ? no 'reasonable ground of com-
plaint on this head.
" Would not the adminis- With regard to the present
" tration of justice be more Civil Officers in both provin-
" difficult and less effectual ces, we may rely on the wis-
"in proportion to the ex- dom and justice of the Impe-
" tent of the country ? rial Parliament, that a plan
" Would not many of the similar -to that which was
" present civil officers be adopted on the union of Great
" dismissed and neglected, Britain and Ireland will be
" who deserved a better fate ? followed in the present case,
" Under what laws shall we and that none who deserve a
" live ? Will . the French better fate will be dismissed
" civil law which is in force in without an adequate compen-
" Lower-Canada be still re- sation. .

" cognized, or that of Upper Nor is it to be supposed that
" Canada go into force ? The the Administration. of Justice
" civil law of the one or the will be rendered more difficult
" other must be changed ; and and less effectual by an union
"if :he reader knows the dif.. of the talents of both pro-
" ference between them, and vinces in one Legislature.—
" the attachment of each party Each will continue to live
"to its own, he must see that under its respective laws till
" a scheme more impossible changed (as they possibly may
"in execution has never en- be in the course of time) by
" tered the head of any legis- the wisdom of the united Le.
lator." g►islature---and if the reader
"We do not belieVe that knows the difference bttween,
" any difference of opinion 'on and the attachment of each
" the subject can exist among party to its own—if he be at
" persons knowing the actual all versed in the history of
" stateof the provinces." •mankind, and sufficiently ac-
Quebec Gazette, I,3th June. quainted with Civil Govern-
ment to judge of the difficulties
and embarrassnients which
• -such difkrences naturally give
rise to, he must see that a
• scheme more easy of execu-
tion, or better calculated to
produce hereafter the happiest
results, never entered the head
of any Legislator. In short,
we do not believe that any dif-
ference of opinion on the sub-
ject can exist among pet-ions
of sound political judgment
, who know the actual state of
the provinces.
Quebec., 14th June, .1822.

THE COLONIES—(CoNTiraTED.)

[From the Montreal Paper.]
COMMTJ NICATION.

It is one of the anomalies of our situation, that the Official
Newspaper should be enabled, by an imprudent law, occasion-
ally to raise the standard of defiance against the Ministry ; and
that that establishment, which, in a well organiszd Government,
is its:naturar advocate, should here often fly in the face of the
Administration.
This subject requires some attention in order to prevent the
injurious inferences which might be drawn, by the reading
public, in all quarters, frontseeing promulgated in the Quebec
Gazette of 13th inst., sentiments calculated to destroy the con-
fidence of his Majesty's Canadian subjects, in the wisdom of
measures now in preparation by the British Government, for
effecting the Union of the Provinces of Lower and Upper Ca-
nada, and thus strengthening them against internal and exter-
nal foes.
The law of the land to which we allude establishes the Que-
bec Gazette as the only legitimate medium for advertising those
Sheriff's Sales of real Property throughout the Province, which
the present infirm state of Canadian laws may be said to ren-
der the only means of conferring a tolerably safe tiff: upon a
new possessor:
Under this law ;he Editors of the Quebec Gazette are said
.to obtain for advertisements from the Sheriffs of the four dis.:
triets of Lower Provinces nearly Two Thousand Pounds
per annum ; and those advertisements, so interesting to all pro-
prietors, give that paper so wide a circulation,. that not only the
Executive Government, but also numerous individuals, have
been induced to resc.t exclusively to its columns, making it
one of the most lucrative publications on this Continent. 'the
late Editor has thus been enabled to retire with a.fortune, and
to introduce his son and a connection of his family into the
same road to wealth and presumption:
In the course of his professional labours, the late Editor per-
ceived that the present Constitution is eminently calculated to'
bring into the House of Assembly such a mixture of many ig-
norant dupes with a few demagogues, as promised to him ad-
vancement in that branch of the Legislature. He obtained a
seat; and events haVe justified his discernment; for, during
several Sessions of that House, he has been suffered to take the
lead in embarrassing or opposing the other branches of the
Provincial Government; and we have actually-seen this Go-
vernment Printer, at the head of nine-tenths of the House of
Assembly, straining every nerve for the purpose of stopping the
wheels of that Government, which originated, and daily aug-
mented his fortune.
Having thus explained the interest of the present Editors of
the Quebec Gazette, and of their predecessor and patron in the
continuance of a disjointed state of affairs so favourable to mo-
nopoly and abuse, we hope that their sentiments on the sub-
ject of the Union of the Canades will be received by the pub-
lic with distrust.
In the confusion of mind which disappointed ambition and
avidity produce, the Editors interlard their rhapsody with
some incoherent questions which may call forth replies at a fu-
ture day ; unless such a mixture of ignorance, gratuitous asser-
tion and indecent arrogance, as they have ventured to publish,
should be deemed, on reflection, unworthy of farther notice.
Meantime, let us hope that all loyal and well informed sub-
jects will vigorously support the Legislative Union of the Cana-
des, which, while it will rescue the Upper Province froth the
degrading alternative of becoming virtually dependent on the
United States, or on Lower Canada, will naturally produce an
intelligent and respectable Legislature, capable of deVeloping
the commercial resources of this great country, and of thus en-
abling it to afford, those legitimate advantages to the Parent
State, which are con' iplated in the establishment and defence
of all Colonies.
While we keep tl ; great objects in view, let us all be on
the .alert,.never fort ing that measures most seasonable and
most wise have been often retarded or prevented by the secret
intrigues and misrepresentations of a few selfish and prejudiced
individuals.
A FRIEND TO THE UNION.
Montt cal, 17thi <lnv, 1822.