North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-11-04


the Colony.) What con,roul could tn
peoples representatives have over puhh
deiaultcrs aud public pecuaton; many @
whom were discovered and deeply punish
ed through the petsevering devotion to Ia,
public good on the part Of the House o
Assembly The influence OF the popular
branch would have been mere cypher
If they had consented To surrender theiI
undoubied and constitutional ghts of con.
trouling the public expenses and o. attach
ing 10 the disbursement OF the public mon.
les such conditions as would be beneficial
10 the people. These doctrines are in
strict accordance with British principles
and in maintaining them faithfully as did
the House OF Assembly in its answer 10
the Governors speech, that branch Of the
Legislature rested on safe ground from
which il was impossblc-to assail it with
success.
As soon as the members were returned
to their seats, special committee compos-
! ed of Messrs. Taschereau, CuvilIier. A.
Stuart, Quesnel, BIanchel, Nelson and
Vallieres, was appointed to draft an ans
wer TO the Governors speech. On the
22d the House presented It's answer to the
Governor and told him plainly that in the
present circumstances of the Province, the
members OF the House could NOT consent to
vote permanent civil list, whose sum to-
tai, as demanded by His Excellency. ex-
ceeded the Provincial Revenue, which
was very variable; and that the Governor
must distinctly understand that nothing
but an ann6a vote Of supplies would be
granted by them. The next step OF the
House Of Assembly was the taking into
consideration the resolution adopted bv !
the Legislative Council on the 2lst OIL
April 1919. on the bill! defraying the civil
expenses Of the Province which bill the
Legislative Council had rejected. That
resolution was conceive! in the following
language:
-" That the mode prescribed by this bill, To |
delray the expenses Of the civil list is un-
precedcDled and unconstitutional. and d- |
rect assumption on the part OF the Assem-
bly,, OF the most important rights and pre-
negatives of the Crown that were this
bill to be passed into law, it would give
10 the Commons Of this Province. moi
merely the constitutional privilege Of pro-
vlding the supplies, but the power also of
prescribing TO the Crown, the number and
description Of its servants. and of recuIa-
ting and rewarding their services individu-
ally, ms the Assembly should from time to
time judge meet or expedient, by which
means they would be rendered dependant
on an elective body, instead Of being de-
pendant on the Crown, and might evrntn-
ally be made instrumental 10 The overthrow
Of that authority which by their allegiance
they are bound to support"
The motion for reading the above entry
ofthe journals of the Legislative Council, &
was carried unanimously. Mr.. Nelson {
who had originated it, then offered another
'esove TO read that part Of the speech ;,
Of His Grace the late Duke Of Richmond
n which he censured the House of AS g
embly and had praised the members Of '
he Legislative Council for their respective :,
'otes on the civil list in the session of 1919. +
This motion being granted, the fol-
owing part of the speech above alluded =
o, was read by the assistant clerk of the
House: =
You, Gentlemen Of the Legislative
|ouncl, have not disappointed my hopes,
nd beg TO return you my thanks for the :
cal and alacrity you have shewn in all
hat more Immediately belongs to your
'ody. 1t is with much concern, | feel nv
ell impelled to say, that | cannot ex- l.
TESS TO yon, gentlemen OF the House Of Z
assembly, the same sentiments, nor my
pprobatlon al the general result Of your u
abonrs Cat an expense Of so much valua- L
lie tlme) and of the public principles upop r,
Jhlch they rest, as recorded in your Jour ;,
ais. You proceeded upon the documents1 :.
'hch laid before you TO vote a part of II
ne sum required for the expenses of the II
ear 1919, but the bill of approximation C
'hich YOU passed, was founded upon sncb o.
rincirles, lha, according to the Journals =
the Upper House, it was constitution. i