Читать книгу Documents Relating to the Constitutional History of Canada 1759-1791, Part II - Adam Shortt - Страница 12

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"To the Honourable the Commons of Great-Britain in Parliament assembled.

"The humble Petition and Memorial of his Majesty's ancient Subjects the Seigneurs, Freeholders, Merchants, Traders, and others settled in his Majesty's Province of Quebeck,

"Sheweth,

"That, under the sanction of his majesty's royal proclamation, bearing date the seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, which graciously promises to all persons inhabiting in, or resorting to, this province, his royal protection for the enjoyment of the benefit of the laws of the realm of England, until assemblies should be called therein, they did come and settle themselves in this province, having entrusted their own properties, as well as very considerable sums of their friends, in goods and merchandize, from Great-Britain, and entrusted the same into the hands of the Canadians, as well for the purpose of internal trade in the province, as for outsets in carrying on the traffick of furs and peltries in the Indian countries and fisheries below Quebeck, many of them having purchased lands and houses, and been employed in agriculture, and the exportation of grain and other produce to foreign markets, to the great benefit and emolument of the said province, which has flourished chiefly by the industry and enterprising spirit of the said subjects, who, under the protection of British laws, and by the assistance of annual supplies of British manufactures, and other goods and merchandize obtained upon credit from the merchants of Great-Britain, have been enabled to carry on at least four parts in five of all the imports and exports which are principally made in British bottoms, the latter consisting of furs, peltries, wheat, fish, oil, pot-ash, lumber, and other country produce: and for the more convenient carrying on the said trade and commerce, they have built wharfs and store-houses at a very great expense, insomuch that the property, real and personal, now in British hands, or by them entrusted to Canadians at a long credit, is one half of the whole value of the province, exclusive of the wealth of the different communities; which your petitioners have in part set forth in the humble petition to his most excellent majesty, dated at Quebeck the thirty-first day of December which was in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-three;^[17] humbly praying, that he would be graciously pleased to require his governour or commander in chief to call a general assembly, in such manner, and of such constitution and form, as to his majesty's royal wisdom should seem best adapted to secure the peace, welfare, and good government of this province. Wherefore with deep concern they observe, that in certain examinations taken before your honourable house, the British subjects here have been grossly abused and misrepresented, as well as to their numbers as in their importance in this province. For the number of the new subjects has, we humbly conceive, been greatly exaggerated, it being, by the last computation, about seventy-five thousand; whereas, by an enumeration of the British subjects, they amount at this time to upwards of three thousand souls, besides many that we cannot immediately ascertain that are dispersed in the Indian countries carrying on traffick with the savages, besides the merchants and traders with their families settled at Detroit and its dependencies, and at the fisheries below Quebeck. And whereas an act of parliament has lately passed, intituled, "An act for the making more effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebeck in North-America," which is said to have been passed upon the principles of humanity and justice, and at the pressing instance and request of the new subjects, signified to his majesty by an humble petition^[18] setting forth their dislike to the British laws and form of government, and praying, in the name of all the inhabitants and citizens of the province, to have the French institutes in their stead, and a total abolition of trials by jury, together with a capacity of holding places of honor and trust in common with his majesty's ancient subjects. We crave leave to inform your honourable house, that the said petition was never imparted to the inhabitants in general (that is) the freeholders, merchants and traders, who are equally alarmed with us at the Canadian laws being to take place, but was in a secret manner carried about and signed by a few of the seigneurs, chevaliers, advocates, and others in their confidence, at the suggestions, and under the influence of their priests; who, under colour of French laws, have obtained an act of parliament which deprives his majesty's ancient subjects of all their rights and franchises, destroys the Habeas Corpus act, and the inestimable privilege of trial by juries, the only security against the venality of a corrupt judge, and gives unlimited power to the governour and council to alter the criminal laws; which act has already struck a damp upon the credit of the country, and alarmed all your humble petitioners with the just apprehensions of arbitrary fines and imprisonment, and which, if it takes place, will oblige them to quit the province, or, in the end, it must accomplish their ruin, and impoverish or hurt their generous creditors, the merchants in Great-Britain, &c. To prevent which, your petitioners most humbly pray that the said act may be repealed or amended, and that they may have the benefit and protection of the English laws, in so far as related to personal property; and that their liberty may be ascertained according to their ancient constitutional rights and privileges heretofore granted to all his majesty's dutiful subjects throughout the British empire.

"And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

"Quebeck, 12th Nov. 1774."

[16]	"An Account of the Proceedings" &c., p. 254. This also bears the same list of names as the other petitions.

[17]	See p. 495.

[18]	See p. 554.