6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907

N° 1.

A RETURN of the British Forces Quartered in the Government of Trois Rivieres April the 5th 1762.

44th Regiment-Captain William Hervey Major of Brigade; one Serjeant recom mended; one Serj' one Drummer on Party.

46. Regiment Captain Alexander Johnstone at Quebec, with leave of General Amherst, one Serjeant on Party.

R. BURTON

Colonel

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18

N° 2.

RETURN of the Canadian Inhabitants settled in the Town & Government of TroisRivieres in April 1762—

N.B. There are besides in this Government Three Indian Villages, one at Bécancour; Another at St François both of Abenakis; and the last at Pointe du Lac of Algonquins, Containing about 500 Men Women & Children-Besides Forty Five Families of Acadians, amounting to very near Two Hundred people hutted in different places of this Government.

From the Registers of the Secretary's Office at Trois Rivieres, the 5th of April 1762.

18-3--5

J. BRUYERE. Sec

N° 3.

SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18

N° 4.

RETURN of the Number of Christenings, Marriages, & Burials in the Government of Trois Rivieres from September 1760, to April 1762

Thus the Number of Births in this Government have during the above mentioned time, Exceeded that of Burials by 275—

From the Registers of the Secretary's Office at Trois Rivieres-April the 6th 1762— J. BRUYERE. Sec

Endorsed :-Colonel Burton

Report

of the State of the Government of Trois

Rivieres in Canada

April. 1762:

in St J. Amherst's of June 15: 1762.

No 20.

GENERAL GAGE'S REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF

MONTREAL.

MONTREAL March 20th, 1762.

SIR, I have already Acknowledged the Receipt of a Copy of the Earl of Egremont's Letter to you of the 12th Dec', and I take this opportunity to return you my Answers thereto, Assuring you, that I have lost no Time in collecting the best Information of Every thing Contained in that Letter that I could possibly procure.

I feel the highest Satisfaction, that I am able to inform you, That during my Command in this Government, I have made it my Constant Care and Attention, that the Canadians should be treated agreeable to His Majesty's kind & humane Intentions. No Invasion on their Propertys, or Insult on their Persons have gone unpunished, All Reproaches on their Subjection by the Fate of Arms, Revilings on their Customs or Country, and all Reflexions on their Religion have been discountenanced and forbid.

No Distinction has been made betwixt the Briton & Canadian but equaly regarded as Subjects of the same Prince. The Soldiers live peaceably with the Inhabitants, & they reciprocaly acquire, an affection for each other. I have notwithstanding, made known, His Majesty's Pleasure on these Particulars to the Several Commanders of Corps, that every Individual may be acquainted therewith, which will, no Doubt, Add the greatest Weight to the Orders & Directions which have been already given. And you may be Assured that Troops who have ever shewn the most Ardent desires, to Advance the Interest of their Sovereign, and paid the most exact Obedience to his Commands, will vye with each other in Brotherly Love and Affection to the Canadians, over whom, His Majesty has extended his Royal Favor, & Protection. The Indians have been treated, on the Same principles of Humanity, They have had immediate Justice for all

Fr

their Wrongs, and no Tricks or Artifices have hitherto been attempted, to defraud Them in their Trade.

I send herewith a Return, (N° 1) of the present State of the Troops & Artillery in this Government, As to the Fortifications, except Fort Wm Augustus, which may at present be in a good state of Defence, the rest having only been calculated to repel sudden Invasions of Indians, are of Course, of small consideration. The City of Montreal is surrounded by a high Wall ramparted and flanked; the Parapet about Three feet thick a natural Defence from the River St Lawrence on one side, on the other, a Ditch mostly faced. Upon a Height within the City, is a small square work of wood, compleated since the Capitulation, provided with a few pieces of Artillery, & capable of containing Seventy or Eighty Men. The Fort of Chamblé, is an Antient Stone Castle, flanked with Tours, in which are Port-Holes, for small pieces of Ordnance, no Ditch or Outwork. You will also receive herewith, a General Return, (N° 2,) of the State of this Government, for the year 1761, Comprehending the Number of its Inhabitants, Cattle &ca. The State of Population, Quantity of Acres Cultivated and Quantity of Grain sown, for the particulars of all which, I referr you to the Return.

The Soil produces all sorts of Summer grain, in some parts of its Government, the Wheat is sown in Autumn. Every kind of pulse & other vegetables; to which I may add, some Fruits, viz' Apples Pears Plumbs Melons, &ca. Cyder is made here, but as yet in Small quantitys, In general, every Fruit tree, hardy enough to withstand the severity of the Winter, will produce in the summer, which affords sufficient Heat, to bring most kinds of Fruit to Maturity.

In

The Profits, which the French King drew from the Government of Montreal, unconnected with the other two Governments, of Trois Rivieres & Quebec, proceeded from the Sale of certain Trading Posts in the Indian Country, From the Money paid for permits, to trade at others, which were called Free Posts, from the King's own Trade, at those called the King's Posts. And from the Droit de Quint, & Droit d'Échange. Return (N° 3) you will find these several posts particularly ascertained, with the annual Profits which might have accrued from the two first. It is impossible to ascertain, what were the Profits & Losses upon the French King's own Trade; No Doubt, that Trade well managed, would have produced considerable gains; but from the Number of Commissaries & Factors employed, who have made very large Fortunes for themselves; and the immense profusion of Presents, made to the Indians; I must conclude, His Majesty gained very little from the Commerce.

The Lands have all been granted, on Feudal Tenures, from thence; The King's Droit de Quint, & Droit d'Échange. The first is a Fifth, of all Monies that shall be received, on the sale of Seigneuries. or Lordships. The Latter, a Fifth of the value of all Lordships exchanged, & a Twelfth of the value of all Copyhold. Estates, that shall be exchanged. The Right of Exchange however, did not belong to the French King, either in the City or Island of Montreal; It having been granted to the priests of the Seminary of St Sulpice, who are Temporal Lords of that Island. And enjoy the privilege of the Exchange, as well the City as the rest of the Island. The French King generally remitted a Third of his Dues on these sales & Exchanges, whose Revenues from hence, might amount, Communibus Annis, to about Three Thousand Livres. I have Supported His Majesty's Right to these fines of Alienation remitting the Third, according to old Custom. This Year by an Accident, They have amounted to Nine Thousand Livres.

Immediately after we became Masters of this Country, all Monoplys were abolished, and all Incumbrances upon Trade were removed. The Traders chose their posts, without the obligation of purchasing them, and I can by no means think, The French Management, in giving exclusive grants of trade, at particular posts, for the sake of the sale thereof; or the sale of permits to trade at the free posts, worthy our Imitations. The Indians of course paid dearer for their goods, & the Trade in General, must have been injured by Monoplys. The Traders were alone at the posts they had purchased, where no person in Authority had the Inspection of their Conduct; & committed many abuses, for which the Indians could get no Redress; And it has happened, that the Indians had murdered the Traders & plundered their Effects; by which the French have been drawn into wars at a very great Distance, and at a great Expense. The