6. 6-7 EDWARD VII., .. 1907 la partie repondra en personne et non par procureur n'y par ecrit, et en cas de maladie ou Empechement Légitime le Juge se transportera en son domicile pour recevoir son interrogatoire. 7. Le Juge apres avoir pris le Serment recevera la reponse sur chacuns faits et Articles et pourra même d'office interroger sur aucuns faits quoiqu'il n'en ait point ete donné Copie 8. Les réponces seront precizes et pertinentes sur chacuns faits et sans aucuns Termes injurieux et Calomnieux 9. Seront tenus les Chapitres Corps et Communautez de nommer un Sindic procureur ou Officier pour repondre sur les faits et Articles qui lui auront été communiquez et a cette fin passeront une pouvoire spécial dans lequel les réponses seront Expliqués et affirmés veritables autrement seront les faits tenus pour Confessés et averés sans prejudice de faire interroger les Sindics procureurs et autres qui ont agit par les ordres de la Communauté sur les faits qui les concerneront en particulier pour y avoir par le Juge tel Egard que de raison —- 10 et dre Les Interrogatoires se feront aux depens de ceux qui les auront requis sans qu'ils peuvent en demander aucune repetition n'y les faire entrer en Taxe, meme en cas de Condamnation de depens. Il seroit à souhaiter que cette Loy si simple fit partie des formes de proceder, L'Ordonnance derniere garde le silence sur un objet si interressant ANOTHER PAPER, BY MR. JUDGE PANET, REFERRED TO IN NOTE 9.1 Des Tutelles et Curatelles. Du Tems du Gouvernement francois, les Juges de Quebec, Trois-Rivieres et Montreal, non seulement rendoient la justice en toutes Actions civiles, mais encore procedoient a L'election des Tuteurs, Subrogéz tuteurs et curateurs sur assemblée de parents et amis au nombre de sept, ils n'avoient pas des commissions particuliéres pour ces sortes d'objets. cette forme de proceder fut continuée apres la Conquete jusqu'a L'Année 1764. Tems auquel le General Murray introduisit dans les Cours de Justice les loix d'Angleterre ce même Général accorda au Juges Mabane et Fraser des Commissions de Surrogats. En Vertu de cette commission le Juge surrogats de Montreal (J'ignore ce qui se passa à Quebec) au lieu d'Actes de Tutelles donna des Lettres d'administration suivant la forme Angloise, et obligea les administrateurs a donner des cautions. Ces Cautionnement repugnerent beaucoup aux habitans plusieurs ne firent point d'Inventaire faute de pouvoir trouver des Cautions ceux qui en trouverent furent obligez d'Envoyer leur Inventaire a Quebec seul Bureau d'Enregistrement, les frais d'Enregistrement etoient considerable et diminoient beaucoup le peu de bien qu'ils avoient, cette nouvelle methode de proceder Occasiona beaucoup de murmures et de plaintes, elles parvinrent en L'Année 1767. à son Excellence le General Carleton qui Enjoignit aux Juges de laisser la nouvelle forme, et de reprendre L'Ancienne connue plus aisée et bien moin Couteuse, ce qui fut pratiqué jusqu'au 1775. 1 Canadian Archives, Q 27-1, p. 231. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 Il auroit été a Souhaiter qu'on eut pensé Lors de la redaction des ordonnances à promulger les Loix concernants les Tutelles et Curatelles, on oublia des objets si interressants. Les Juges des plaidoyers Communs furent pourvûs de Commissions du Gouverneur pour accorder des Lettres d'administration, et sans penser que ces Commissions n'etoient pas necessaires, ils se qualifioient de Juges de la Cour des Prerogatives et proceder aux Elections de Tuteurs et Curateurs suivant la forme et les anciens usages. cependant ils accorderent des Lettres d'administration aux anciens Sujets suivans la forme Angloise. les Juges des plaidoyers Communs prevoyant le danger et les difficultés d'avoir deux formes de proceder dans une même Province prirent la resolution il y a 4 ou 5 ans de presenter au Conseil un projet de formes de proceder pour les Actes de Tutelles et Curatelles il en resultoit plusieurs avantages. 1° L'instruction des Anciens Sujets. 2o Une forme permanente, d'autant plus necessaire que les françois n'ont point de Loix Ecrittes pour ces sortes d'actes, l'usage Constament pratiqué en Canada depuis l'Etablissement du pais tient lieu de Loix mais la pluspart des Membres du Conseil soutinrent qu'il etoit inutile de faire une Loy à cet egard, vous avez dirent-ils des usages qui tiennent lieu de Loy Continués les, il fut faite des reflections sur ce qu'on avoit accordé des Lettres d'Administration suivant la forme Angloise; depuis ce Tems les Juges ont continué a donner des Lettres de Tutelles et Curatelles selon la forme françoise, reflechissants qu'ils seroit dangereux d'avoir deux formes de procedée dans une meme Province et L'embarras qu'il y auroit lorsqu'un des conjoints par marriage seroit né en Angleterre et L'autre en Canada, distinction epineuse et sujets à mille difficultés De L'insinuation et Enregistrement des Donations Entrevifs et des donations faites entre conjoints par Contrat de Marriage. par la coûtume de ce pais Toutes donations Entrevifs doit etre Enregistrée dans les 4 mois à peine de nullité, avant la Conquete, L'Enregistrement se faisoit dans les Registres des Greffes des differentes Jurisdictions et depuis Jusqu'a présent cet usage a ete continué. Il est de la plus grande necessité de laisser aux Juges de la Cour des Plaidoyers Communs, l'administration de ces sortes d'objets dont ils connoissent la forme, sans cela il naitra une multitude de procés qu'on doit soigneusement eviter. I certify the above from Page [i.e. 186] to this page, inclusively to be a true Copy of the Originals of Record in my Office. A PAPER, BY MR. JUDGE PANET, REFERRED TO BY NOTE 9. Concerning Examinations on Facts and Evidence. At the time of the French Rule there was no Court of Chancery in Canada, but The superior Council of Quebec had the power of giving Letters of Emancipation and of Restitution against Acts which could be repealed, these Letters were addressed to the Judges of the inferior Jurisdiction, who gave Judgment on their Ratification, or their rejection. Appeal could be made from the Judgments of these Courts to the Council. The people did not suffer much, or rather they did not suffer at all from this lack of a Court of Chancery, seeing that the litigants had the right to insist on being examined concerning facts and evidence in virtue of the Ordinance of Louis Fourteenth of the Year 1667, registered at the superior Council of Quebec. These Examinations were very necessary in obscure Cases for discovering the truth; here follows in full the Ordinance of 1667. 18-3-39 Article 1 6-7 EDWARD VIL, A. 1907 We hereby give Permission to all Parties to insist on Examination in any kind of case, on pertinent facts and Evidence relating only to the affair in Question before the Judge where the dispute is pending, and in the case of the absence of the party then before the Judge who is commissioned by him, the whole without retarding the information and Judgment. 2. Summons to answer concerning facts and Evidence shall be issued in Virtue of the Order of the Judge without commission from the record office, even though the person concerned is residing out of the Place where the suit is pending, and without an Order, the Judge and the Recorder have not authority to undertake anything. 3. Examination shall be granted to any one at the house of the party concerned, and not at any other house chosen nor at the house of the procureur, and a Copy of the Order of the Judge and of the facts and Evidence shall be given. 4. If the party concerned does not appear at the Day and Place assigned, or refuses to answer, a summary verbal process shall be issued making mention of the Summons, and of the refusal, and in the Verbal process the facts shall be held as Confessed and proved in all jurisdictions and Courts of Justice, even in our Courts of Parliament, grand Council, Office of Public Accounts, &c. 5. It is our will nevertheless that when the party concerned appears before the Judg ment of the suit to undergo examination, he shall be called upon to answer to the demand to pay the cost of the examination and of furnishing a copy thereof to the other party, and also to repay the costs of the first verbal process, without the right to repeat them and without delay in the Judgment of the case. 6. The party concerned shall reply in person, and not through a procureur, nor by writing, and in case of illness or of Lawful Hindrance the Judge shall proceed to his house to carry out the examination. 7. The Judge after having administered the Oath shall receive the reply to each fact and Evidence, and in virtue of his office shall have power to ask questions concerning any facts, although he may not have been given a copy thereof. 8. Answers shall be precise and pertinent on each charge, and without any injurious or calumnious Expressions. 9. Chapters, Bodies and Communities shall be held empowered to nominate a Syndic Attorney or Officer to reply to the facts and Evidence communicated to him, and to this end shall issue a special power in which the replies shall be Explained and affirmed to be true, otherwise the facts shall be held as confessed and proven without prejudice to the examining of Syndics, attorneys and others who have acted by the order of the SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 Community with respect to the facts which specially concern them so that they may receive from the Judge due consideration. 10 and last. Examinations shall be held at the expense of those who shall have required them, without their having the right to demand any repetition nor to enter them as a Tax, even in case they are condemned to pay the costs. It is to be wished that this simple Law had been made a part of the forms of procedure, the last Ordinance is silent on this most interesting point. ANOTHER PAPER BY MR. JUDGE PANET, REFERRED TO IN NOTE 9. Concerning Guardianships and Trusteeships. At the time of the French Government, the judges of Quebec, Three Rivers, and Montreal, not only administered justice in all civil Actions, but also took action in the Election of Guardians Surrogate Guardians, and Trustees, relations and friends to the number of seven being assembled. They had no special Commissions for this class of cases. This form of procedure was continued after the Conquest till the Year 1764. At the time in which General Murray introduced the laws of England into the Courts of Justice, this same General granted Surrogate Commissions to Judges Mabane and Fraser. In virtue of this commission the surrogate Judge of Montreal (I am not aware of what was going on at Quebec) gave Letters of administration instead of Acts of Guardianship, according to the English forms, and required administrators to give sureties. The inhabitants were most averse to this giving of sureties, and many of them did not make an Inventory, as they were unable to find Sureties. Those who did find them were obliged to send this Inventory to Quebec, which was the only Registration Office. The costs of Administration were considerable and greatly diminished the small advantage which they derived from it. This new Mode of procedure caused many murmurs and complaints, and in the Year 1767 they came to the ears of his Excellency, General Carleton, who directed the Judges to omit the new form, and return to the Old one, which was better known and much less Costly. This was the practice until 1775. It would have been desirable that they should have thought at the time of the compilation of the regulations, for the promulgation of Laws concerning Guardianships and Trusteeships, but these interesting points were forgotten. Judges of the Court of Common Pleas were provided with commissions by the Governor for the granting of Letters of administration, and without considering that these Commissions were unnecessary, they qualified themselves as Judges of the Court of Prerogatives, and proceeded to the Election of Guardians and Trustees according to the ancient form and usages, while they granted Letters of administration to ancient Subjects according to the English form. The Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, foreseeing the danger and difficulty of having two forms of procedure in the same Province, 4 or 5 years ago, formed the resolution of presenting to the Council a plan of forms of procedure for Acts concerning Guardianships and Trusteeships. Many advantages resulted from this action. 1st The Information of the Ancient Subjects. 24 A permanent form, all the more necessary because the French have no written Laws for this class of acts. Customs invariably practised in Canada since the Settlement of the country took the place of Laws, but the greater part of the Members of Council maintained that it was useless to frame a Law to this effect; you have, said they, customs which take the place of Laws, Continue them; Objections were raised to the granting of Letters of administration according to the English form; since that Time Judges have continued to give Letters to Guardians and Trustees according to the French form, thinking that it would be dangerous to have two forms of procedure in the same Province, and considering the Confusion there 18-3-391 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 would be when one of the parties joined in marriage should have been born in England, and the other in Canada, an equivocal difference which would give rise to a thousand difficulties. Concerning the Introduction and Registration of Donations Intervivos and Donations between those joined by Contract of Marriage. According to the customs in force in this country before the Conquest all donations Intervivos ought be registered within 4 months, under pain of lapsing. Registration was made in the Registers of the Record Offices of the different Jurisdic tions and from that time to the present this custom has been in force. It is extremely necessary to leave the administration of this class of subjects in the hands of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, as they are acquainted with the customary forms. Otherwise a multitude of lawsuits would be the result, which ought to be carefully avoided. с REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL RELATING TO COMMERCE & POLICE WITH A FEW OTHER PAPERS CONCERNING THOSE SUBJECTS, SCORED UNDER IN THE INDEX WITH RED INK.1 INDEX. Page 237 to 258 The Report of the Committee of Council (612) 259 260 Letter from the Committee of Council to the Merchants of Quebec. Report of the Merchants of Quebec by their Committee to the Committee of Coun (614) Petition from His Majesty's new Subjects residing at Quebec, (619) with an Eng lish translation of it. (621) Letter from the Committee of Council to the Merchants of Montreal (622) Reply to the Answer. (623) Report of the Merchants of Montreal by their Committee to the Committed 315 323 324 325 326 410 420 429 431 440 441 447 448 451 # 460 470 * Address from His Majesty's New Subjects residing at Montreal (628), with ar English translation of it (629) * Letter written by Mr. Joseph Howard a Merchant to the Committee of Merchants at Montreal. Extract of Imports and Exports into the Port of Quebec for the Years 1783. 174. 1785 & 1786. Copy of a Petition formerly presented to His Majesty, whereof Duplicates were Letter to the Magistrates of Quebec, from the Committee of Council. (630) Representation by many of His Majesty's new Subjects at Three Rivers to His Ex Information concerning the Fisheries. Concerning the Navigation and Pilotage of the River St. Lawrence. To His Excellency the Right Honorable Guy Lord Dorchester Captain General an Governor in Chief of the Colonies of Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick an their Dependencies &c. &c. &c. THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON COMMERce and police. May it Please your Lordship. In obedience to your Lordships commands signified in Council on the 6 November last, whereby you was pleased to appoint us, to be a Committee to take in consideration the 1 Canadian Archives, Q. 27-1, p. 235. The index to this Report will indicate the varied and interest ing character of the subjects dealt with. Only some of these, however, have a sufficiently direct bearin upon the constitutional issues of the time to be included in this volume. The page numbers in the le hand column refer to the copy in the Canadian Archives, while the numbers, in brackets, which follow t articles, indicate the pages at which those reproduced in whole or in part in this volume will be found Those papers referred to in the title as underlined with red ink are marked with an asterisk. As indicated in the Minutes of Council (see p. 591), those appointed to be members of this Committee were Messes Levesque, Harrison, Collins, Grant and Pownall. 2 See Q 27-1, p. 237. |