SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 in Matters of a Criminal Nature the HABEAS CORPUS Act is dissolved and we are Subjected to arbitrary Fines and Imprisonment at the Will of the Governor and Council who may at Pleasure render the Certainty of the Criminal Laws of no Effect by the great Power that is granted to them of making Alterations in the same. WE therefore MOST HUMBLY IMPLORE your Majesty to take our unhappy state into your Royal Consideration and grant us such Relief as your Majesty in your Royal Wisdom shall think meet. (Original) Joseph Torrey Andrew M'Gill James Noel Rec, 22 January 1775. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 PETITION TO THE LORDS.' To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled. "The Petition of his Majesty's loyal and dutiful his ancient Subjects settled in "the Province of Quebeck, "Humbly sheweth, "That since the commencement of civil government in this province, your lordships' humble petitioners, under the protection of English laws granted us by his "sacred majesty's royal proclamation, bearing date the seventh day of October, which "was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, have been "encouraged to adventure their properties in trade, estates and agriculture, to a very "considerable amount, thereby rendering the province a valuable acquisition to GreatBritain That, to their inexpressible grief, they find, by an act of parliament intitled, An act for making more effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebeck in North-America," they are deprived of the habeas corpus act and trial by juries, "are subjected to arbitrary fines and imprisomment, and liable to be tried both in “civil cases and matters of a criminal nature, not by known and permanent laws, but "by ordinances and edicts which the governour and council are impowered to make void at their will and pleasure, which must render our persons and properties insecure, and has already deeply wounded the credit of the country, and confined our views in "trade to very narrow limits. 46 46 "In this cruel state of apprehension and uncertainty, we humbly implore your "lordships' favourable interposition, as the hereditary guardians of the rights of the "people, that the said act may be repealed or amended, and that your humble petitioners may enjoy their constitutional rights, privileges, and franchises heretofore "granted to all his majesty's dutiful subjects. "And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. "Quebeck, 12th Nov. 1774." PETITION TO THE COMMONS.2 To the Honourable the Commons of Great-Britain in Parliament assembled. "The humble Petition and Memorial of his Majesty's ancient Subjects the Seig"neurs, Freeholders, Merchants, Traders, and others settled in his Majesty's Province "of Quebeck, AL "Sheweth, "That, under the sanction of his majesty's royal proclamation, bearing date the "seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, which graciously promises to all persons inhabiting in, or resorting to, "this province, his royal protection for the enjoyment of the benefit of the laws of the realm of England, until assemblies should be called therein, they did come and settle themselves in this province, having entrusted their own properties, as well as very considerable sums of their friends, in goods and merchandize, from Great-Britain, and entrusted the same into the hands of the Canadians, as well for the purpose of internal trade in the province, as for outsets in carrying on the traffick of furs and peltries in the Indian countries and fisheries below Quebeck, many of them having purchased lands and houses, and been employed in agriculture, and the exportation of grain and other produce to foreign markets, to the great benefit and emolument of the said province, which has flourished chiefly by the industry and enterprising spirit of the 1 .. An Account of the Proceedings " &c. p. 246. King. This bears the same signatures as the petition to the This also bears the same list of names as the other (Original) Joseph Torrey по Jno Bell Andrew M'Gill Sam: Holmes James Blake James Noel Thomas McMurray Abram Holmes Peter Arnoldi Dan' Robertson A. Porteous J. Joran Jacob Maurer Edward Chinn Rich McNeall Robt. Cruickshank John Comfort Adam Wentsel Allan Mcfarlain Jacob Vander Heyden Hinrich Gonnermann John Hare, Jun' Geo. Wright Knowles WTM Murray John Trotter Christ. Cron Will England Meshach Levy Thomas Boyd John Mittleberger Solomon Mittleberger Recd, 224 J |