North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-11-18

untef the heiaoss accusation u having
ve,ed Illegally. Mr.. Joceiyn Waller, the
F1isf ~ the Canadian Spectator, very
sAlv eoajse'rd jpufnaI, VI. Duvcfhsy, The
5siairr II that paper ard OF the .atEerTs,
aaAMr. James Lane, the p'jaief al the
SDtslafegr Caaadsea. were eli Indicted b.
parked grind jury at The efimiasl court
for a !i0ei on tic government Those elect
rrs Of the borough Of William Henry who
had dared tn suprcu the liberal member a
gainst James Stuart. the Attorney Gene
era Of the Province, cane 10 for their share
Of the innumershlc and heavy prosecutions
20 which shat rascibie and spi,el0l public
functinnarY had devoted The Radicals. Sew
efal of the most respectable inhabitants Of
Sofsl were dragged Ia Montreal rs Grimm
ais and Subjected 10 manY vexa'ious pro-
cecdnss before they could escape his pow
erful grasp. So cfoundless were all these
accusations OF the government officers a
rainst the men they were thus (with the
Governors sanction and very probably by
his ofdrf) pefsecn;ing, that whcn Sir Jas.
Kempi succeeded Lord Dalhousc, he or
dered the Attorney General to pat an i'm
mediate stop 10 them.
We now call the attention oI our read
efs TO those persecaiious witch emanaIed
directly from the Chiei Magistrate resi-
ding in The splendid Castle OF 81. Lewis.
lrri,ated because the House had been pro-
rogued without providing any means to
organize the Provincial militia, he ordered
his law officers 10 hunt up some old edlcts
tina, nigh, be revived. The job was soon
done, and two old Provincial ordinances
which had been repealed and annulled by
subsequent acts, were declared To be sill
in force, and the militia Of that Province
were surprised to learn that they were 10
he governed BY those acts. Many oi the
officers, strong in n conviction that there
existed 10 laws in the Province 10 regulate
the militia, refused to act under the old
revived ordinances, which they deemed
illegal, inasmuch as they had been repeal
ed and abrogateG. These officers for da-
ring To demonstrate with their superior Off
GERS on the pretended Legality OF those ord
inances were Immediately dismissed from
Office, and partisans Of the administration
of Lord Dalhousie were appointed in their
place Instead Of nrrcsting their murmurs
il increased them, and discomfort was man.
i'eoted from one end of the Province to the
other. DsmissaIS from Office in the militia
awaited al those officers who dared espouse
the peoples cause and to oppose the ty-
rannica acts Of the Governor General or
oil his mnions.
Our readers will find in the appendix in
our next number, marked letter COZ a list
of those militia officers who were diSmis-
sed by Lord Dahousie from April 1927,
TO the time he left the Province. II will
he seen by the number of dismissas that
His Lofdship was quite angry and dispos-
ed TO intiict punishment on those who
were independent enough to think differ
cot from himself The dismissals which
caused the most discomfort as they were
more arbitrary and despotic than the rest,
were those Of Lieutenant Colonel Louis
Bourdages and Major II. ValIiefes de ST.
Real, both independent members Of the
House Of Assembly and who were dismis-
sed from their ranks in the Provincial mil
lila in November 1897, immediately after
they had given their unpreiudiccd votes
against the arbitrary rejection OF the
Speaker OF the Assembly by the Governor
There could BE- no mistake in imputing
the cause Of their punishment to their
having voted in opposition to the wishes
of His ExceIlency. And yet there was a
certain faction in the country, which cal
led Lord Dalhousie lover and faithful
observer Of constitutional rights.
Lord Dalhousie by his vexatous and
arbitrary proceedings, had rendered him
sell so odions in the Province, lha, the