198 J. G. BOUEINOT 



Count Raymond when governor of the island, does not express a favourable opinion of 

 the mode in which the affairs of the colony generally were conducted ; but while he is 

 obviously prejudiced in his comments, especially against the clergy and religious orders, 

 one who remembers the peculation and jobbery prevalent for years in Canada during the 

 closing years of the French regime may well believe that the officials at Louisbourg were 

 equally corrupt, especially when we know that the commissary at Louisbourg for some 

 time was Bigot, whose financial administration subsequently at Quebec nearly ruined the 

 Canadian proviuce at a time when it required all its resources to meet the great crisis in 

 its history.' As was always the case in Canada, there was a constant conflict of authority 

 between the governor and the commissary or acting intendant in Louisbourg, whose respec- 

 tive powers appear to have been arranged for the special purpose of creating difficiilties 

 and making one a spy upon the other. The fact that the government of Cape Breton was 

 subject to that of Canada did not help to maintain an orderly and peaceful state of things, 

 since in case of dispute weeks and months generally elapsed before a decision on the point 

 at issue could be obtained from the vacillating authorities at Quebec. Pichon gives us 

 some examples of these divisions between the two chief officials. '" Whatever the gover- 

 nor proposed," he says in one place, " was sure to be contradicted by the commissary. 

 The latter used to deny that the case was so urgent as to require his compliance ; neither 

 would he, without an express order, deliver out the public money, which he has gener- 

 ally in his custody. In the meantime the fortifications were neglected, and a dangerous 

 enemy was ready and able to take advantage of our divisions ; so that before the c[uarrel 

 between the two rivals in ambition, authority and interest conld be decided, the proper 

 precautions were likely to come too late." Though one conld hardly blame the 

 commissary for refusing to pay public money except on an express order from the nominal 

 head of the government, it is certain that there was great looseness in the conduct of pub- 

 lic affairs as well as a decided conflict of authority among those in office. Unhappily, 

 too, for the colony, the officers of justice were often appointed without reference to their 

 legal qualifications. "When they were not military men, they were chosen from the 

 inhabitants according to the caprice or favouritism of the governor and intendant, who 

 had joint control over such appointments. At one time, for instance, the judge of the 

 admiralty, who was also the judge of the inferior court of justice, had been a "journeyman 

 wigmaker." It is quite easy to believe, then, that "this magistrate and the others of 

 subordinate jurisdiction grew extremely rich, since they are interested in different 

 branches of commerce, particularly the contraband." 



The religious wants of Louisbourg and of other parts of Cape Breton were under the 

 ministration of a number of missionaries, some of whom laboured for years among the 

 Micmacs, when there was probably not another white man on the island. In addition to 

 the priests, there were at Louisbourg some members of a religious community in charge 



' " With the fall of LouLsboui;;, where lie had acted as commissary, etc., coincides very closely the arrival in 

 Canada of Intendant Bisjot, who, by his shameless robberies, prepared the way to the abyss of ruin into which 

 New France was to bo precipitated eleven years later. This degraded being would seem to have ino'julated his 

 subordinates with all his own vices as soon as he reached Canada; for, previous to his coming, we find again and 

 again in the letters of the governors and intendants reference to the probity and zeal of Varin, Morin, Martel and 

 others, all of whom were afterwards the accomplices of the infanuMis intendant." See Marmette in "Canadi.an 

 Archives," 1887. cxxxv. 



