The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-19
AMERICA.

PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT
LOWER CANADA.
SPEECH
Ofhis Excellency the Governor in Chief, TO
both houses of the Legislature, delivered ON
Thursday last:
Gentlemen of the Legislative Council,
And Gentlemen of the House of AS
sembly."
"When prorogued the last Provincial
Parliament, it was under the impressions of
probability, that circumstances might short
ly take place under which, should be desi-
rous of availing myself of Legislative assis
tancej and j fastened the election of a new
House OF Assembly, in order that i'm such Am
event, no Inconvenience might be experience
ed from the interruption that must otherwise
have ensued. on the expiration of the term
tor which the last house had been chosen.-
1t was impossible then to foresee that the
pending discussion between his majesty's go
yernment and that of the Uuted States, IN
which the interests of this province are so
materially involved, should remain SO long
without being brought to decided issue
1T might reasonably have been expected in
deed, that the more the subject was discussed.
the more would the true interest of the Anne
ricans become obvious To the people at large
OF that country, and that, induced by these
long ere this an accommodation honorable and
advantageous to both parties might have ia
ken place. ] am only enabled to state to Won
that such has not been the Course that has
been pursued. The conduct of the Ameri.
can Government, so far as we are acouaint
ed with it, has carried no indications of u con-
ciiiatory disposition. In pity to the sufferinps
OF their own people to whom it was Infinitely
more injurious than it was to those against
whom the measure was directed, they have
raised the embargo but they have substituted
tor it, an act by which after the Goth of Nav
next. all intercourse with Great Britain and
France is prohibited.
al feature ofhoatitity that is eyen more
strongly marked lhan The Ea,6areo was.
and when coupled with the language which
was held by the leading people during the
discussion 1t underwent, as we'll as on every
other occasion, III which England was ad
verted to during the session OF Congress. it
furnishes no ground on which we should be
led to departure from tlht vigilance and
Caution which, in our peculiar situation.
have hitherto been thought SO necessary. I
feei myself warranted in the reliance place
on your ready co operation i'm the renewal of
those acts which, with peculiar view to
this subject, were past in the last Pa .lia
ment, and which will otherwise expire with
the present session, or in any other measure
which may be deemed expedient
in these eventful times, no transaction.
however distant the scene, or however un-
connected we may appear TO be with the
object, can be Indifferent to IT'S. / have no
doubt that your hearts glow with generous
sympathy IN the glorious cause i'm which
Spain has drawn the swerd, even though
your interest were not increased in il. by the
interference of his Majesty's arms. Howe
yer various the fortunes OF the contendne
parties may have been, the issue is still in
the hands OF Providence. Let us trust in
MS gracious interpostion in favor of a gallant
people contending against the worst of ty
rannies but should he, for purposes unknown
tous, finally doom them to fall, Britain NAV
at least console herself with the reflection
OF having discharged duty which cannot
but be pleasing in his all benevolent eve
while the extent of the assistance she has
afforded them, and the magnanimity with
which she has stepped forward to share in
their dangers, must carry conviction to the
world that she fights not for herself alone.
n truth which the Portuguese nation has
already experienced. That nation has been
delivered from the most intolerabIe oDnres
Sion, by the successful victory of Vameira
and the subsequent evacuation of their coun,
try by their merciless enemy. Events, which
as they have added to the lustre of his ma
Je9ty's arms, are subjects of congra,ulatinn
to us, as they must be of peculiar salts
faction that they occurred in favor of a
people so long and faithfully the friends and
allies of Britain.