North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-09-23

forfeited their lives on the scsaold iu iasi
stonemenl Tor the high crime they had
committed upon the lille Of a peaeefol and
harmless man.
Sir James Henry Craig opened the
fourth session OF the fourth Provincial
Parliament on the Goth Of January 1908.
The burthea OF his speech was the appear
aoce OF hostiltties between Ggeat Britain
and the L. States and HIS Excelleney re-
quesied the revisal oil the Militia Act.
On tie 50 day ot February both the
Legislative Council and House Of Assem-
/ bly, presented to the Governor their reply
TO his speech.
On the 9Th petition was received and
read from Thomas Coffin, Esquire, Of the
Buuough OF Three Rivers, setting forth
that at the recent election which had ia
ken place for that burough, Ezekiel
Hart Of the Jewish faith, had been return
ed. The petitioner prayed that as the
successful candidate was a jew, that his
seat might be declared vacant and that
as the petitioner had the largest electoral
vote after Mr.. Hart, he might be entitled
10 bis seat in the House. We regret
deeply that the House came to the illibe-
/ raj and unconstitutional decision, that as
Mr.. Ezekiel Hart was Jew, by religion,
he was disqualified 10 take his seat in the
House. This arbitrary and dlsgraeeinl
resolve was carried by a majority Of 81
votes TO 5. II was bold and iniudicious
attack upon the liberty of conscience as al
SO upon the elective franchise OF those
electors who had deputized Mr.. Hart.
But such ia The fate Of mankind Human
passion and religious prejndices will Often
times prevail where reason and enligh,en-
ed views would have given quite another
turn 10 the matter at issue.
Mr., Bourdages, that faithful protector
OF the peoples rights, introduced on the
18Th OF February bill TO secure the iude-
pendence of the Judges Of the Court OF
Kings Bench, and 10 prevent them from
being elected as members of the Lower
branch of the Provincial Legislature. The
esbas and intrigues incidental TO the de-
sire of having a seat in the House OF As
seulhIy, had introduced so much corruption
among the members of the Bench, who
were DESTROYS Of counting al once the ia
vors Of the people and the smiles OF the
Executive government, that it was felt by
all those who loved both the independence
OF the representative branch aud the Dig
nity of the Bench, that an end must soon
be put to such state of things, or else the
very fountains Of justice would soon be
polluted. These results must inlaIIibly en-
sue from the communicating presence IN
the Legislative Halls Of corrupt placemen,
whose characteristic is ever tina: OF the
most degrading subserviency to the will oil
the master who furnishes them their daily
bread. The House had already two Judg-
ca sitting within its Halls, who were scam
dalizing the Canadian community by their
intriguing conduct at the polls and within
the walls of the House. They were the
mere servants Of the Crown and implicitly
obeved the commands emanating from
Castle ST. Lewis. Besides these notoTl-
Gus facts il was urged that the Legislative
and judicial functions could not properly
be exercised by the same individual, and
that the disappointed candidate at the
polls could not forget his defeat when
seated on the Bench, and consequently
that the administration OF justice might
suffer very materially from the blending Of
the characters OF a Judge with thar oil
partisan and eleetioneering candidate. On
the 4,h OF March the bill to prevent the
Judges from sitting & voting in the House
of Assembly was finally passed by ma
ioritv of seventeen TO eight; but this useful
and important measure found its natural
death in the Legislative Council where il
was unanimously rejected.
/ On The 9sih OF March, the quorum Of
the House was reduced by a resolve to