It is assumed, of course, that the study of this topic will occupy several lesson periods. THE FIGHT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY IN CANADA, 1759-1867. In the struggle for constitutional liberty in British Canada, there are several distinct stages: I. 1760 to 1763--Military Rule: 1. Amherst the nominal governor; Canada divided into three districts 2. Little disturbance of French customs; the _habitants_ content 3. Influx of "old" subjects--their character. (See _Ontario Public School History of Canada_, p. 109; _History of Canada_, Lucas and Egerton, Part II, pp. 4 and 7.) II. 1763 to 1774 (Quebec Act): 1. Period of Civil Government under General Murray 2. Unrest owing to demands of the "old" subjects 3. Conditions of government: (_a_) Governor and Advisory Council of twelve all appointed by Crown (_b_) Assembly permitted but not feasible; depended on will of Governor (_c_) British law, both civil and criminal, prevailed (_d_) All money matters in hands of Council. 4. At this time the French greatly outnumbered the British, and the fear of the Revolution of the American Colonies led to the French being favoured in the Quebec Act, 1774. III. 1774 to 1791--Quebec Act to Constitutional Act: 1. Both "old" and "new" subjects dissatisfied--the French with British Court procedure, the British with French feudal customs. 2. Provisions of the Quebec Act: (_a_) Change of boundaries (See text-book.) (_b_) Governor and Legislative Council appointed; no assembly called. (_c_) French Civil Law; British Criminal Law (_d_) No oath required, as before, hostile to the Roman Catholic Church--beginning of religious liberty (_e_) Legislative Council had no control of taxation IV. 1791 to 1841--Constitutional Act to Act of Union Provisions of Constitutional Act: 1. Upper and Lower Canada divided, because French and British could not agree on many points. 2. Each Province had a Governor, a Legislative Council, a Legislative Assembly, and an Executive Council. The Legislative Council was composed of the highest officials, appointed practically for life, and responsible to no one. Many of these were also members of the Executive Council. The Legislative Assembly was elected and was yet without control of the whole revenue, as the Home Government still collected "all duties regulating colonial navigation and commerce." 3. The Clergy Reserves were established; later to become a bone of contention. V. 1841 to 1867--Act of Union to British North America Act. The demands of the people for responsible government, that is, for control of the Executive and of taxation, became so insistent that the Act of Union was passed, following Lord Durham's report on the Rebellion of 1837.