North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1841-02-18

her whose seat had been declared vacant,
but the Governor refused to sign the wit
before he could nc advised b. the Minis
tiers IN England. We are well aware that
ihc representative body has the undoubied
right To withhold the issue Of election wri's
when such elections ere deereed 10 be
attended with great danger to the public
peace, but we cannot subscribe Ia the doc.
,rins that the Executive government has
right 30 withhold the issue Of wit ot
election for q member of The House. Or
else, where would he the independence OF
this body against the enCroaehmens and
unconstitutional influence OF the Executive
pswefi II il can be done 10 one case, ii
can be done in many and thereby The de-
pendance OF the Assembly upon the viii
and within Of the Governor would be abso-
Lutte. In our opinion then The refusal OF
Lord Aylmer and ai,erward OF the Coionl-
al Secretary, was perfectly unwarrantabIe
and was endangering the independence and
liberty oil the House.
On the s3d Of November, James Leslie,
one of the members Of the lCity of Mont
real, presented 10 the House memorial
from the inhabitants Of that city against
the msrdefous affair Of the 2lst May pre-
erling. II was resolved that the House
should investigate this iniquitous affair so
as to bring the authors OF it 10 condign
punishment, and it was decided that the
investig alien should take place before a
committee Of the whole House, which was
10 sit twice a day. The Governor was
called upon 10 lay before the House such
documents as were called for Part OF
them were consequently laid before that
body, whilst Lord Aylmer refused per
emplorily TO grant the demand OF the
House in relation 10 certain other docu-
ments which he refused under various
specious pretences. Ii could not be expec-
ted that such an investigation could be
carried on without bringing disagreeabe
alterations between the conflicting parties.
After the decided and partial tone which
the head of the Executive had taken in
This melancholy event, the conduct of the
subordinate officers was marked with too
much heat, which now and then led TO
scenes quite disgraceful. Those public
funciionaries who happened TO be meuIbers
Of the House, allowed themselves to be
ruled by their predominant passions for
pleasing their ruler and would eften,imes
cast reflections on the character OF their
fellow members quite unbecoming aud Of
such nature as to require an immediate
relraction for fear Of being justly punished
by the House. From the high functiona-
ries down TO the meanest officer the exam
pie was Of contagious nature. A wit
ness who held very subordinate Office in
tho District of Montreal, Being called be-
fore the House. was proved to be OF snch
bad faith and was deemed guilty Of such
want OF candor as TO be condemned TO be
carried to the Quebec jail where he laid
during the remaining part OF the Session.
Military officers refused TO lay be-
fore the House such documents as were in
their possession and which were demanded
by the Assembly, pretending that their du-
~ could not allow them to part with such
documents before they were authorised so
10 do. by the Governor himself. This
grand inquest which ought to have been
looked upon in favorable light by the
partizans OF the local administration if they
had had nothing to dread. as they pretend
ed, from the exposure Of the bare truth,
was on the contrary assaled most violent
Iy and exposed the harsh feelings which
fear creates in the minds Of those who
were deemed to be the immediate authors
Of the bloody and uawarrantabe massacre
Of the 2ist May. !, was eviden, that
solemn investigation would infalhly ex-
pose the facts in their true light and the
msgistracy OF the city Of Montreal togeth-
er with the military were quite unwilling