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
Mr. Chancellor Pitt did not join issue with Mr. Fox, but did not
consider it expedient to flash legislative freedom upon a people. He
thought that if the Assembly were not rightly consolidated by the Bill,
little harm was done, because there was nothing to hinder the
Parliament of Great Britain from correcting any point which might
hereafter appear to want correction. He did not like the elective
principle of democratic governments, and with respect to the land
appropriated to the clergy, like every thing else provided by the bill,
it was subject to revision. Where land had been given in commutation of
tithes, the proportion of one seventh had grown into an established
custom. The Bill was re-committed. Next day the clauses of the Bill
being put, paragraph by paragraph, Mr. Burke eloquently defended its
provisions, ridiculed the "Rights of Man," and almost extinguished the
light of the new lantern, which exhibited in the academies of Paris and
the club-rooms of London, the constitutions of America and France as so
much superior to that of Great Britain. The distinguished orator was
certainly more declamatory than argumentative, and he was repeatedly
called to order. It was alleged that Mr. Burke had no right to abuse
the governments of France and America, as the "Quebec Bill" only was
before the House. Nay, there was something like a scene. Mr. Burke
complained of having been deserted by those, with whom he formerly
acted, in his old age, and Mr. Fox, with tears in his eyes and strong
emotion, declared that he would esteem and venerate Burke to the end of
time. The same cries of "order," "order," "chair," "chair," "go on,"
"go on," that are heard in our most tumultuous debates, in the
Assembly, were frequent in the course of the debate, and Mr. Burke was
unable, on account of the tumult, to proceed with his account of "the
horrible and nefarious consequences flowing from the French idea of the
rights of man." The debating continued for a number of days, and the
Bill was read a third time on the 18th of May. When the report of the
Bill in Committee was brought up, on the 16th of May, the House divided
upon an amendment by Mr. Fox, to leave out the clause of hereditary
nobility, which amendment was lost by an adverse majority of
forty-nine. It was then moved, in amendment to the Bill, by Mr.
Chancellor Pitt, that the number of representatives in the Assemblies
should be fifty instead of thirty, but that motion was also lost by an
adverse majority of fifty-one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account