North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1841-01-09

psu oil " the college IN the IilF on 8ue-
bee) could rot properly be sarreadsred as
His Majesty's troops were lodged shsrein,
To effect the complete surrender OF that
valuable properly, tho House was called
upon to build barracks for tho British
troops at the option, and TO suit the taste
of the Governor. To use a common
phrase the English Ministry was as honest
in this proposal as highway robher, who
alter having robbed a traveller. would
tell him that he would allow him 10 have
back his stolen property, provided no would
give him (the robbery the best part Of his
money. Such was the honesty Of Lord
Coodrich'S proposal Besides the !dishon-
esty OF tbs proposal, there would have
been great risk for the Colonial Legisla-
ture to assume the right Of voting the peo-
Piles monies for the erection oil military
barracks. The principle once admitted that
the Colonial Legislature could be called up
on TO sxpend monies for military purposes,
who knows where it would have ended?
The House consequently very properly re-
fused lis consent 10 build barracks and the
college Of the Jesuits is yet prolaned and
polluted by drunken British sodiery.
The next topic to which the despatch al
luded was heendowment Of public schools
with crown lands solemnly promised to the
Colonial Legislature in 1901, by Sir Ro-
bert Shore Mines. Lord Goodrich pro-
missed that lands would DO given by the
crown, but it was mere promise. His
Lerdship said that he would treat of the
subject the crown-lands in separate des-
patch, and our readers will see that the
people Of Lower Canada had no reason to
be satisfied with the promised separate des-
patch. Ii was conceded that the people
ought 10 have the controul Of their muni-
pal affairs, but as we have seen the Legis-
ativs Council, after the reception of this
despatch, rejected the bill for the election
Dl parish and township officers. As
proni that His Majesty was sincerely de-
sirous OF allowing his Canadian subjects to
regulate their municipal affairs, the Colon
al Secretary promisedthat the Royal sane
lion would be given to the bill subdividine
The parishes of the Province and aleA the
bills incorporating the Cities of Quebec
and Montreal. These bills were allowed
10 GO into existence but as they were an
lncherished offspring and owed their life to
mere accident, the Council soon found the
way to erase them from The Provincial
avs. His Lordship mentioned that as
he House had complained of the doubts
md uncertainty which had been intro
uced into the land tenure OF the Pro-
ince by Imperial Legislation, he was
Apply to inform them that the Imperial
'ar'iament had passed law in the previ-
Us session TO allow the Colonial Legis
ure to recall the Imperial statute and
onceded to themselves the EQUATION of
no matter, as it was supposed to be bet
'r understood in the Colony than in Eng.
md. This assertion Of the Colonial Min.
ter was dishonest in the extreme. I'll
.ngland had legislated and by its legisla-
on had created confusion in the laws of
'ower Canada, il was its duty to repcal
ne law which caused the evil and net re-
uest the consent OF both branches of the
olonial Legislature, when it was fact
eriectly well known that the Legislative
ouncil, composed as it was Of aristocra-
C men who EARNESTLY desired to see the
W OF English primogeni,ure established
the Province, would never give their
'nsent to the repeal of the Imperial sta. {
lie which ives intended to establish i
lied Aristocrscy in Lower Canada. Ii
ur readers will perceive that the Colonial .
mister was as candid in this case as he /
as in that of the Jesuits' estates. We
all net wear out the patience Of our
sders by OBTAINING them too long on this i
ceptive document, but we shall cut short i
saying that Lord Goodrich terminated Il
speaking of The independence of the n