but, as usual, it failed in a body whose whole spirit was anti-commercial. These instances are adduced, not for their intrinsic importance, but as illustrative of the question proposed by me for your consideration in my first letter, whether disaffection has not given rise to grievances, rather than grievances to disaffection. Having now tasted the sweets of power in the punishment of the printers, the house commenced a system of high-handed measures with any person who obstructed their views; and followed it up by removing from the house all persons attached to the executive, and impeaching others holding high official stations, in the hope that, by representing the adherents of government as enemies to the country, the affections of the people would be gradually alienated from their rulers, and ultimately prepare them to join in those measures of forcible resistance, which now, for the first time, appear to have been contemplated. The first experiment was made by the expulsion from the house, contrary to the constitutional act, of Ezekiel Hart, on account of his professing the Jewish religion. This measure naturally alarmed the British inhabitants, and gave them a melancholy foreboding of the events that were in reserve for them. The violent language of debate, the

constant appeal to popular prejudice, the undisguised anti-English feeling of the legislative demagogues, and the seditious and revolutionary language of the "Canadian " newspaper, devoted to their interests, left no room to hope that the constitution could long work, in such unskilful and unprincipled hands. The fifth provincial parliament was opened by Sir James Craig on the 10th of April, 1809, when their attention was called to the unsettled state of affairs with the Americans, and they were required to consider of such means as might be necessary to place the province in a posture of defence. Instead of proceeding, according to the urgency of the case, to deliberate on this pressing emergency, they commenced by an attack on the judges, and devising the means of removing them from the legislature; and manifested so much heat in their proceedings, and such a disrespectful inattention to the subject submitted to them, that, after five weeks wasted in angry discussions, the governor was under the necessity of expressing his displeasure by a dissolution. On meeting the sixth parliament, which assembled on the 29th of January, 1810, he informed them that he was instructed to assent to any bill for rendering the judges, in future, ineligible to seats

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in the house of assembly, in which the two houses should concur. This house, though a little moderated in tone by the firmness exhibited in dissolving them, were not to be diverted from its schemes of ambition; and now, for the first time, was developed that deep-laid plan, which has since so signally succeeded, of placing every officer of the government at the mercy of the popular branch, and rendering the arm of the executive perfectly powerless. On the 10th of February they resolved, most unexpectedly, that this house will vote in this session the necessary sums for defraying the civil expenses of the government of this province." Animated by the prosperous state of the revenue, in consequence of the American embargo, the opportunity was considered a favourable one, by assuming the civil list, to get a controul over the officers of government, who, being servants of the imperial state as well as the colony, would, by this measure, be at the mercy of the house, which would thus become alike independent of foreign or domestic controul. As long as the expenditure of the civil establishment exceeded the revenue, derived from taxes on commerce, their liberality was content to permit the deficiency to be supplied by parliament; but now that the treasury was

more than adequate to the task, they thought that a voluntary offer of this kind would throw the government off of its guard, and be probably accepted. The governor at once penetrated their designs, and very prudently and properly answered, that it would be necessary to have the concurrence of the legislative council, “in a matter in which, not merely as a co-ordinate branch of the legislature, but as composed of individuals having a large stake in the country it was interested;" but that he would transmit to his Majesty their address as a proof of their ability and their willingness to provide for the civil expenditure when called upon so to do. In this year (1810) the treasury receipts were, £70,398 13 7 And the expenditure............. 58,564 14 3

Leaving a clear surplus revenue of 11,833 19 4

A bill disqualifying the judges was passed, and sent to the legislative council, who agreed to it, with a clause suspending its operation to the end of the present house of assembly. Anxious to shew their contempt of the legislative council, and forgetful, as well of the respect due to the representative of the King, as of constitutional rights, they immediately expelled the judges by resolution, as they had

previously done Mr. Hart, leaving the governor in the dilemma of sanctioning the act by issuing new writs for elections, or of dissolving the house. It is needless to say that he adopted the latter course, and appealed again to the sense of the public. But here, unhappily, there was no public opinion to appeal to, which, in the words of a very able provincial writer,* is explained:-"by the peculiar habits of thought and character, which distinguish the French Canadians. These habits and character, originally formed by the despotic government, civil, military, and ecclesiastical, of Louis the Fourteenth of France, induced the French Canadian population chiefly to regard the immediate agents of authority, who came in daily or frequent contact with them, by oral command or communication. Thus, long after the conquest, the lowest agent of authority had only to present himself, in the name of the King, to be instantly obeyed. It was not a king, a governor, a general, a judge, or a bishop, with whom they had personal communication; these awful authorities they surveyed at a distance, with due reverence; but their immediate obedience was considered as due to a seigneur, a justice of peace, an officer of militia, a bailiff, and a curé, or priest. When the British Parliament, there• Mr. Flemming.