SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 and promoting its prosperity without a power existing somewhere of levying inland Taxes and providing for useful regulations This Consideration we humbly submit to the Honorable Committee of Council, and refer them to the petition we had the Honor to transmit to His Majesty and both Houses of Parliament Two Years ago for Granting a House of Assembly to His Majesty's Faithful Subjects of this Province-1 A Copy whereof Accompanies this Report- (sign'd) Quebec 5th January 1787. Geo: Allsop Sirs, James. Johnston Robert. Lester. Mathew. Lymburner. John Young. As a Committee appointed by the Merchants of Quebec, We have the Honour to inclose our report, agreeable to your Letter of the 15th of November last. COPY OF A PETITION TO HIS EXCELLENCY LORD DORCHESTER, FROM HIS MAJESTY'S NEW SUBJECTS RESIDING AT QUEBEC." A Son Excellence Le Tres Honorable Guy, Lord Dorchester Capitaine General et Gouverneur en Chef des Colonies de Quebec, Nouvelle Ecosse. Nouvelle Brunswick, et de leurs dependances, Vice Amiral d'icelles; Général et Commandant en Chef de toutes les troupes de Sa Majesté dans les dites Colonies, et dans l'Isle de Terre Neuve & & &c. L'Humble supplique des Citoyens Canadiens de Quebec Qu'il plaise à Votre Excellence. Nous Citoyens Canadiens de la Ville de Quebec, prenons la Liberté de faire à Votre Excellence nos trés humbles Representations sur un Objet qui interesse essentiellement notre tranquilité et le bonheur de cette province. 1 See petition of Nov. 24th, 1784, sent to Britain early in 1785, p. 502. 2 Canadian Archives, Q 27-1, p. 315. This is one of the additional papers or documents referred to at the head of the Report as underlined in red ink in the index. This petition was not submitted to the Committee, nor did it form part of their Report. It was sent directly to Lord Dorchester and by him presented to the Legislative Council, on Feb. 1st, 1787, along with the various reports and other papers. See journals of the Legislative Council, Q 27-2, p. 575. 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 Une juste et précise éxécution de nos loix civiles est notre Voeu, et les Alterations qu'elles ont souffertes, et qu'elles pouront encore souffrir font nos Craintes et nos peines. Ces Loix ont établi les titres de nos biens et de nos familles, au nombres de cent Vingt Mille ames, qui forment les dix neuf Vingtiéme de la population actuelle. La Capitulation, en nous maintenant expressement dans l'entière et paisible propriété et possession de nos biens, nobles et innobles, meubles et immeubles, nous a necessairement conservé ces loix civiles qui les définissent; Et l'un des articles de l'acte de Parlement de la Quatorziéme année du regne de sa très Gracieuse Majesté, considérant avec justice ce pays comme conquis, nous a si clairement accordées qu'il ne doit y avoir dans les cours de Justice aucune doute qu'il ait sous entendu d'y introduire, en outre, d'autres loix qui n'ont Jamais été publiées en cette province, puisque leurs plus celèbres commentateurs déclarent qu'elles n'ont aucune force en Pays conquis et daja habités. Nous ne pouvons même imaginer que l'acte du Parlement qui nous accorde nos Proprietés et ces loix ait entendu Autoriser des Altérations reiterées qui detruiraient leurs principes fondamentaux, ou meler avec ces loix d'autres loix, soit générales, soit particulières, qui ont des principes differens, et qui sont peu convenables à ce pays, dans la Vue de favoriser une certaine classe d'individus seulement; parceque du Mélange de diverses loix, en un même pays, il ne peut resulter qu'une confusion, la discussion entre les Sujets et des incertitudes ruineuse aux familles. L'Alteration de nos loix civiles, coûtumes et usages mérite la plus grande modera tion, et les precautions les plus importantes. Ces loix sont simples, claires, connues et justes, même pour le Commerce, puisqu'elles favorisent beaucoup le prompt recouvrement des dettes; La Justice et L'Egalité entre les Créanciers. Elles consistent en Ordonnances, que les Rois n'ont voulu faire, Lorsqu'elles touchaient aux proprétés et aux droits de Citoyens, que sur les Resolutions des Etats; c'est à dire les trois ordres du peuple. Nos Coûtumes n'ont aussi été redigées par Ecrit que de cette manière, et leur redaction n'a été faite, que sur les resolutions des mêmes Etats. C'est pourquoi les lettres patentes de la derniere redaction les declarent, et garantissent expréssement comme loi et edit perpetuelles et irrevocables; et que l'ancien Gouvernement n'a, pendant plusieurs siécles fait que peu d'ordonnances, dont aucune ne donne atteinte à ces loix-Telles sont les loix, coûtumes, et usages pour nos droits réels et personel, dont les anciens et notables, même les nouveaux Canadiens qui sont en cette province, sans distinction de naissance, ont d'accord entre Eux demandé l'exacte exécution à Sa Majesté, en la suppliant de rémedier à l'Etat actuel de cette province Nous Supplions donc, tres respectueusement, Votre Seigneurie, de vouloir bien ne donner aucune sanction à ce qui tendrait à détruire les principes fondamentaux des loix, coûtumes, et usages qui réglent nos Propriétés, ou qui voudraient introduire d'autres loix, attendus que toutes innovations en loix ne devraient se faire qu'avec les memes precautions qui les ont etablies L'Ancienne et constante protection que votre Excellence a bien voulu accorder à nos droits, les plus precieux, nous assure de celle qui doublera notre reconnaissance, et nos Voeux pour votre conservation et Prosperite Quebec le 19 Janvier 1787. N. B. The foregoing Petition was signed by 345 Persons J WILLIAMS. C. C. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 (Translation of the foregoing Petition.) To His Excellency the Right Honourable Guy Lord Dorchester Captain The humble Petition of the Canadian Citizens of Quebec. May it please Your Excellency We the Canadian Citizens of the Town of Quebec take the liberty most humbly to offer to Your Excellency our representations upon a Subject which essentially concerns our tranquility, and the Happiness of the Province A Just and Exact Execution of our Municipal Laws, is our wish, and the Alterations they have suffer'd, and may suffer, are our apprehensions, and our afflictions. Those Laws have established the titles of our Estates and of our Families to the number of a hundred and twenty thousand souls, who compose nineteen twentieths of the whole of the population. The Capitulation, by expressly granting to us the full and quiet right and possession of our Estates, noble and innoble, personal and real, has necessarily preserved to us, the Municipal Laws which define them. And one of the Sections of the Statute of the 14th year of the Reign of His Most Gracious Majesty justly considering this Country a Conquered one, has so clearly allowed them to us, that the Courts of Justice ought not to entertain a Doubt that it was meant to introduce any other Laws, which have never been promulgated in this Province, for their most celebrated Commentators declare that they have no force in Countries which are Conquered and already inhabited. We cannot even conceive that the Act of Parliament which allows us our Possessions can be understood to authorise reiterated alterations, which would subvert the fundamental Principles; or to mix with those Laws, others, either General or particular, which differ in principle and are but little adapted to this Country, with an Eye to Indulge a certain class of Individuals only: Because from a Mixture of different Laws, in one and the same Country, nothing but Confusion, a Disunion among the people, and an uncertainty, destructive to families, can result. Alterations in our Municipal Laws, Customs and usages, require the greatest moderation and circumspection. These Laws are clear, simple, well understood, and Just, even with respect to Commerce, for they greatly favour the speedy recovery of debts; they are Equitable and promote Equality among Creditors. They consist of Ordinances, which the Sovereigns, in cases concerning property and civil rights, would not issue without the Resolves of the Estates, that is to say, the three Orders of the People. Our Customs also, were only committed to writing, in that Manner, and the digesting of them was done upon the Resolves of the same Estates. Therefore it is, that the Letters patent of the last Redaction expressly declare and ratify them as Law and Edict, perpetually and irrevocably, and that the former Government, for Ages, made but few Ordinances, not one of which struck at those Laws. Such are the Laws, Customs, and usages, in support of our Rights, real and personal, which the Elder and Chief men, and even the younger Canadians, who live here, without Distinction of birth, have agreed among ourselves to demand the exact Execution of, from His Majesty; supplicating him to apply a remedy to the pre-ent state of the Province. We therefore most respectfully intreat your Lordship to forbear giving your sanction to anything that may conduce to subvert the fundamental principles of the Laws, Customs, and Usages, which govern our properties, or introduce other Laws; seeing that all innovations, in matter of Law, should be done with the same circumspection as obtained at their Establishment. 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 The firm Protection which Your Excellency was pleased to give, heretofore, to our most precious Rights, assures it to us at present. It will double our obligations, as it will our Prayers for your preservation and prosperity— Quebec 19th January 1787. The Petition was signed by 345 Persons. J WILLIAMS C.C. LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON COMMERCE AND POLICE TO THE MERCHANTS OF MONTREAL.1 QUEBEC 13th November 1786. Gentlemen, His Excellency Lord Dochester in Council having been pleased to appoint us to be a Committee to take into Consideration and to report to His Lordship, (preparatory to the meeting of the Legislative Council which will be on the fifteenth of January next) the State of the External and Internal Commerce and the Police of the Province; with such Improvements as may be requisite to make therein,— We have therefore to request your Sentiments with all Convenient Speed, on objects so interesting to the Province at large and to Montreal in particular. Addressed to Neven Sevestre Pierre Messiere Pierre Fortier Hertel de Rouville Jacques Le Moine Benj. Frobisher. Stephen De Lancey Esq' & to Mess Jacob Jordan Isaac Todd Forsyth.J. Blondeau P. Perinault Richard Dobie T. Chaboillez Mr. McBeth & William Pollard. We have the the Honor to be Merchants. 1 Canadian Archives, Q 27-1, p. 323. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 ANSWER TO THE FOREGOING LETTER. Gentlemen, MONTREAL 234 November 1786 Your Letter of the 15th Instant was immediately communicated to the Gentlemen to whom it was addressed when we had the Honor to be appointed by them as a Committee to examine into, and report upon the objects of our Enquiries, but in matters of such high Importance to the General Welfare and Prosperity of the Province at Large, and to this District in particular, We think it a duty incumbent upon us to call in and collect the general Voice of our fellow Citizens, which we shall do without delay, aud report to you their Sentiments and ours thereon, in Time for your consideration previous to the meeting of Council the 15th January next We duly received your Letter of the 23rd Novem". We are perfectly of opinion, and certainly understood, altho' our Letter was not nominally addressed to every Gentleman in Montreal, that the Voice of the Merchants & principal Citizens should be collected on objects so interesting to the whole, as those now in Agitation. We are happy to observe that Gentlemen of your Experience and Knowledge have been chosen as a Committee for that purpose; the sooner you can effect it and transmit your collective Sentiments the better, as the time draws near when we would wish to make up the report required of us. |