[covne] THE TALBOT PAPERS 183 
ApprEss from the House of Assembly to his Honor the President, con- 
gratulating him upon his accession to the Government and his 
success in repelling the attempts of the Enemy upon this 
Province. : 
To His Honor Roger Hale Sheaffe, President, administering the Gov- 
ernment of the Province of Upper Canada, and Major General 
Commanding his Majesty’s Forces therein, &c. &e. 
May it please your Honor, 
We his Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects the Commons 
of Upper Canada in Provincial Parliament assembled, deeply impressed 
with the highest sentiments of respect towards your person, beg leave 
to approach your Honor at a juncture so interesting and important to 
the welfare of this part of his Majesty’s dominions, and to congratulate 
your Honor upon your accession to the supreme executive authority 
of the Civil as well as the Military administration of the Government 
of this Province, at the same time we cannot refrain from deploring 
the event which deprived this much favoured Colony of one of its 
brightest ornaments, and our Mother Country of an invaluable Officer 
in the death of your Predecessor. It affords us however, a consolation 
and alleviates the poignancy of our sorrow for the loss of so esteemed 
a Chief, that in his Successor those qualities are found which have 
been so successfully exerted by him to repel an inveterate invading 
Enemy, conciliate the affections of all—and maintain the true spirit 
and character of Englishmen. 
We are not insensible to the many arduous and perplexing diffi- 
culties which have pressed upon your Honor, in civil as well as military 
concerns, and it is with the most lively heartfelt satisfaction we express 
our sincere conviction of the wisdom and policy with which you have 
performed them since the reins of Government devolved upon you— 
and in a particular manner we feel it a duty incumbent upon us as 
the Representative Body of this Colony, to set forth to the People at 
large our warmest approbation of the military skill displayed by your 
Honor on every occasion, and the great solicitude always manifested 
on your part to mitigate the hardships to which our loyal and brave 
Militia were inevitably exposed—and further to state to your Honor, 
that we feel the strongest and most unlimited confidence in your future 
exertions of energy and of conduct to preserve to us whimpaired the 
happy Constitution under which we have so long lived, and so long 
been prosperous. That your efforts will be seconded by every individual 
in this Province to the utmost of his ability, we can have no reason 
