North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1841-02-03

many auiaeiAl privileges and adsaatAges
TO birth, and rank ana fortune, lAan To
consult the oBisloss generally received IN
America, where the influence al birth IL
/ nothing, and where, notwithstanding, tie
Importance which fortune must alwavs
naturally confer. the artificial Introduction
Of great political privileges ID favor ol iiae
possessafs OF large pTaprag, could nas
loag rsist the preference given al free
Elections. To those virtues, talents and IN
/ formation which fortune does not always
exclude but can never purchase, and
which may be the portion Of honest, CON
tented, and devoted meH whom the peo-
! pie ought TO have The power OF calling aud
iconsecrating To- the public service in pre-
ference TO richer men OF whom they may
think less highly.
IA RsSolrea, That this House il no
wise disposed TO admit the excellence ef
The present constitution OF Canada, al
though His Malesty's Secretary OF State
Tor The COLONIES has unstas0nably and
enormously asserted that ii has conferred
on the two CaRadas the institutions OF
Great Butatn-nor To reject the principle
al extending the system Of frequent cleo
lions much further than il IL at present
carTled-and that this system ought es-
pecially TO be extesded 10 the Legislative
Council, although it may be- considered by
the Colonial Secretary Incompatible with
the British Government, which he calls n
Monarchical Government, or too anaio-
gous 20 the institutions which The several
states composing the Industrious, moral
and prosperous confederation of the Il .
States OF America have created for thea-
selves.
Is Rsso!ved, That ia Despatch OF
which the date IS unknown, and OF which
part only was communicated to this
House by the Governor in Chief on the
l4lh January 1884, His Maesty's Score
tafy Of State for the Colonial Department
(thiS House having no certain knowledge
whether the said Despatch is from the
present Colonial Secretary or from his
predecessor says, that an examination of
the composition OF the Legislative Coun-
ell al that period (namely at the time
when IT'S composition was SO Justly censur-
ed by Committee OF the House of Com
Bens) and at the present will sufficiently
show in wha, spirit His Majesly's Gov
eminent has eDdeavoured to carry the
wishes Of Parliament into effect.
l6 Resolved, That this House receives
with gratitude this assurance OF The inst
and benevolent intentions with which in
the performance Of their duty His Maes-
ty's Ministers have eRdesvoured to give
effect 10 the wishes Of Parliament.
II t,esoiped, That unhapply it was
left 10 The principal Agent Of His Maics-
| ty's Government in this Province to carry
The wishes ol the Imperial Parliament into
effect, hut that he has destroyed The hope
! which His Msjesty's faithful subjects ad
conceived OF seeing the Legislative Coun-
! Gil reformed and amelioraled and has con-
Gtmed them in the opinion that the only
possible mode of giving to that body the
weight and responsibility which il ought
to possess, is TO introduce into it the prin-
/ cipal of election.
is ReSotued, That the Legislative
/ Council strengthened by majority mimi
| cal 10 the rights OF this House and OF the
people whom it represents, has received
new and more powerful means than i: be-
/ fore possessed, OF perpeiuatlng, and OF rem
dering more offensive and more hurtiul 10
the country, the system OF abuses OF which
the people of this Province have up 10
this day Intellectually complained, and
which up To this day, Parliament and His
Malesty's Government in England have
/ Intellectually sought 10 correct.
! 10 Resolced, That since its pretended
reform, the Legislative Council has, in
manner more calculated 10 alarm the ia
/ habitsnis OF this Province, and more par
I licalarly in its address To His Majesty OF
the LIST of April 1888, renewed its prsien-
! ton of being specially appointed TO pro-
tect one class OF His Maesty's subjects in
this Province, as suPposing them to have
/ interests which could rot BE- sulficie ATTY
/ represented in the Assembly, seven eighths
oil The Members OF which are Of FreRch
erign and speak the French language:
/ that this pretension Is violation OF the
/ Constitution and is Of nature to excite
and perpetusts among the several classes
of the inhabitants OF this Province, mutusl
/ mstrust and national distinction and AMI
mosities, and TO give one portion or the
people an unjust anu eac,ious superiority
over The other and the hope Of domination
and undue preference.
90 Resofcea, That under this pretepce
the Legislative Couseil, after a rrlorm
which was held up as one adopted 10 unite
I il more closely with the interests Of the
Colony "a conformity with the wishes OF