North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-07-25
EDITED BY CANADIANS & AMERICANS.


and settle in HIS Majesiy's newly acquired
Colony, and was never intended 10 be rer-
manen,. There was a clause in the com.
mission Of General Murray, the FIRST Brit.
ish Governor, which was intended to raise
the expectations Of British settlers very
high; il runs thus:
And We DO hereby give and grant
unto you the said James Murray, foil
power and authority. with the advice and
consent of our said Council, 10 be rpnoint-
ed as aforesaid. 81 soon as The situaipg
and circumstances OF our said Province
under your government will admit thereof.
and when and as often rs reed shall re-
quire, 10 summon and call General Assem-
biies of the Freeholders and Planters
within your government, in such manner
as vou IN your discretion shall Judge most
proper ; or according 10 such further pow
ers, instructions, and authorities, as shnll
be at any time hereafter granted or ap-
pointed you under our signet or sien-man-
ua, or by our order in our Privy Coun-
Gill;"
In the fall Of l7G5, the English subjects
who had come 10 settle in the country, be
gan TO form party By themselves, leaving
aside the old French settlers, because they
belonged TO church which was prescribed
in England. They petitioned the King
that he would be pleased to order the
governor of Canada 10 call together an
assembly Of representatives ofthe people, to
enact laws suitable to the state Of the coun
try, which was then ruled by a Governor
and Council, in which the mass was not
represented. This petition was framed in
words quite offensive TO the French Can
adams, who according 10 the PRAYER Of il,
could only be represented by protestant
members but it evidently had 70 effect
whatever on the minds OF His Majestv,s
Ministers. In ITO the same PRAYER
was again reiterated by the English sub
jccts, whilst the French inhahiiats. not ac-
quainted with the blessings OF rcpresen.
tailve government, prayed on their part
that the petition Of their tellow-subiects
should not be favorably heard, and that
they might be allowed to remain as they
were. Three years after, O779,) a petit
ton was again signed by the English in
habltants, addressed to the King and 10
the Imperial Parliament, praying for the
same object, but with the express condition
that the French Canadians should be ex-
cluded from the three branches of the Gov
eminent, on account al their Papal religion.
The Canadians on their side made a coun-
ter-petition, in which they expressed n
wish that His Majesty would name Le-
gislative Council only, TO which they (lhe
Canadians,) could be eligible, as well as
the English inhabitants of the Province.
Sir Guy Carleton, who was then in Eng
land, having been heard at the bar of the
House Of Commons, prevailed on ParIia-
ment TO grant the request Of the Canad-
ans, and thus was the Quebec Bill OF
l774 passed. As soon as it was known
in Canada that this act had been passed
the English inhabitants demonstrated, and
prayed that the act might be re-considered
before it was carried into effect. But this
availed them not. In April 1878. they
again presented petition to Lord George
Germaine, the then Secretary Of State for
the Colonies, but it met the fate that nj,
the others had. Another, which they pre-
scented also in 1888, met with no better
success. But in 1854, both the French
and English subjects having had time to
consider the baneful effects Of the system
Of government under which the Province
groaned in consequence Of The Legislative
Council, and the English subjects having
laid aside their rancorous unjust prejudces
against their Canadian brethren, both par
ties, with the exception OF course OF the
Canadian noblesse and the Catholic clergy)
united in petilioning the throne and both
Houses Of Parliament, begging that
as nearly as possible like that
OF the mother-country, might be granted TO
Canada. Lord Dorchester was opposed TO
granting a constitution to the Province,
a al "a rntohf aastiv he irnartued a1 fhss