The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1Roger, Charles
History
The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation. Volume 1
Roger, Charles
Canada -- History
he had ruled so conscientiously, so honorably, and so justly. Sir
George Prevost could not be otherwise than well satisfied with the
address in reply to his speech. Kindness and conciliation had not been
thrown away, but had been met with respect and affectionate regard.
The House proceeded almost immediately to business, and had not been
long so employed, when His Excellency sent a secret message, asking for
an increased issue of army bills, to meet the public requirements. The
House at once authorised an issue to the extent of fifteen hundred
thousand pounds. Afterwards the Assembly adopted a bill to amend the
militia laws, which the Legislative Council refused to concur in; then
a bill was passed to disqualify the judges for sitting or voting in the
Legislative Council, which the Council also refused to concur in, on
the plea that the bill was an interference with the Prerogative of the
Crown, and with their privileges; next a bill was passed in the
Assembly and negatived by the Council, to grant His Majesty a duty on
the income arising from civil offices, and on pensions, to be applied
for the defence of the province, in the war with the United States;
again the Assembly adopted a bill for the appointment of a provincial
agent in Great Britain, which the Council also set aside. Surprising as
so obvious an antagonism between the Legislative Council and
Legislative Assembly may seem, it is easily accounted for. The Council
were, many of them, placemen, and indeed the immaculate and
confidential secretary to Sir James Craig, Mr. Witsius Ryland, also
Clerk of the Executive Council, had himself a seat in the Upper House,
although Mr. Robert Peel, differing in opinion with Sir James Craig,
did not think that the situation which Mr. Ryland held was quite
compatible with a seat in the Legislative Council. Mr. Ryland has
favored the present generation, through the instrumentality of a near
relative, with a brief review of the political state of the province of
Lower Canada, from which some interesting facts can be gathered. He
states that the Assembly knew that their bill for disqualifying the
Chief Justice and Justices of the Court of King's Bench from being
summoned to the Legislative Council, would be thrown out in the Upper
House, but that the introduction of such a bill in the Assembly served
the purpose which the party who introduced it had in view: it impressed
the mass of the people with a disrespectful idea of the judges,
preparatory to a grand attack upon the whole judicature of the
province. In the bill for appointing an agent to Great Britain, Mr.
Bedard, the person who had been under confinement on a _charge_ of
treasonable practices, had been named as such agent, and a salary of
L2,000 per annum assigned him. Mr. Ryland knew that the Council would
throw out the bill. But, says that gentleman, the Council were
thwarted, as Sir George Prevost acceded to a request of the Assembly
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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