North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-08-19

reclamation, and the scigniors would have
fclt their individual losses with less severity
than they now would. But as we have
already said, il was Britsin's purposes 10
create two different interests in the Pro-
vince, constantly at variance with each
other, and ready for use when ever the
government would see fl. Thus the fcu-
dial tenure was preserved in the French
eountry, whilst the bill enacted that all
lands hereafter to be conceded, were 10
be held in free and common soccsge. The
Preach laws were kept in force in a Ger
tain tract of land in the Province, and tho
bill introduced English laws into another
part of the, country. The feudal tenure
in Lower Canada although mitig ated and
totally unlike the old French feudal system
Of the past centuries, is yet a. disgracc.to
any country which boasts of liberty, and 10
a relict OF antiquity Of which all enlighten-
ed nations have got rid. Yet the trainers
OF the Constitutional Act thought propeE
to keep alive a system from which they
expected To derive great benefit.
The third defect in the Act OF 1891 is
the exclusive endowment Of the Church Of
England, which has given rise to very un-
happy differences Of opinion more ,paaic-
ularly in the Province OF Upper Canada,
where the different protestant religious
denominations are very numerous. In
Lower Canada, the Catholic Church
which is the Church Of niDe-tenths OF the
population Of that country, was literally
provided for by a legislative act at the ex-
pense OF the Canadian people, and the
Church of England being also copiously
provided for by the above act, no murmur
of course was heard from their consciea-
tious and avaricious priests. The other
ssISgbgaFst fseiy Z % th sm hRWtdHFa PtrqExaiFRaflSs T SRy
complaint was heard from them. But it
was not so in the Upper Province, where
both the Catholic and the " Established
Church were in a great minority. Those,
who preached the word Of God, were sub
ject TO the weakness Of the flesh and crav-
ed for a share of the loaves and fishes ; and
this question has been one OF the principal
grievances of which the people of that
Province have complained. Such are
the principal defects of the constitution
which was given TO the Canadas as a per-
feet mode! Of that OF Great Britain. There
are yet many uufavorable views Of this act
which we suppress, fearing that il would
take US into so extensive a field 0 discussion
as to trespass upon the time Of our
readers. For instance we could have
shown the improperly and at the same
time the impolcy Of joining Church and
State in a new country, where the settlers
belonged TO so many different religious
creeds. Bu. we abstain from any further
remarks, reserving nevertheless the right
Of exposing the error of the trainers OF the
Canadian Constitution whenever a favor
able opportunity will present itself in the
course Of this History.
Lord Dorchester who at the period of
the passage Of the Constitutional Act was
the Governor General of the Province Of
Quebec, had returned to England and
during his absence Alured Clark, Esqr.,
the Lieutenant Governor, had assumed the
administration OF the Province. On the
18th November 1871, he issued a procla-
nation in which the people were informed
that the constitutional Act would be put
in force in the Province on the 26th De-
cember following. He issued another
proclamation on the 7th May l792, divid-
ing The Province Of Quebec into Up
per and Lower Canada and fixing the limits
thereof. He also limited the number Of
Representatives for the Province Of Lower
Canada 20 fifty, and divided the districts,
counties, circles, towns and townships Of
the Lower Province, and appointed the
10Th Of July following, for the general
election Of members.
As the subdivision Of the province, sc-