[riddell] BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT, 1867 73 



Council to be composed of the Lieutenant Governors of Montreal 

 and Trois Rivières, the Chief Justice of the Province, the Surveyor- 

 General of Customs for the Northern District of America (all Imperial 

 appointments) and eight to be chosen by himself from amongst the 

 most considerable of the inhabitants or persons of property of the 

 Province. These were to be approved by His Majesty under His 

 Signet and Sign Manual: and vacancies were to be filled in the same 

 way from persons whose names were to be transmitted by the Governor. 

 As soon as the situation and circumstances of the Colony should 

 permit, he was to call a General Assembly of the Freeholders of the 

 Colony. 



It is plain that a "Constitution" not dissimilar to that of the 

 Mother Country was in contemplation; but minute directions were 

 given as to the form of legislation, and the members of the proposed 

 Assembly were prevented from "assuming to themselves Privileges in 

 no ways belonging to them." 



For reasons unnecessary here to detail (but well-known) it was 

 thought impracticable to summon an Assembly; and this first pro- 

 posed "Constitution" fell to the ground. There was some excuse 

 for Thomas Townshend, M.P.^ saying that the government was in 

 fact despotic.^ 



A new period began when the Quebec Act of 1774^ came into 

 force (May 1st, 1775) — notwithstanding the vigorous efforts of the 

 Opposition, Townshend, Dunning,^ Colonel Barré,^ (who knew for a 

 fact that the principal people of Canada "take a liking to assemblies" 



1 This was Thomas Townshend, Jr., (1733-1800), son of the Honourable Thomas 

 Townshend, Teller of the Exchequer. He had been Lord of the Treasury in Rock- 

 ingham's Admhiistration, and Joint Paymaster in the Pitt-Grafton Administration, 

 but resigned in 1768. At the time the speech spoken of in the text was dehvered, 

 May 26, 1774, h.e was in Opposition: he was afterwards Rockingham's War Secretary 

 and Shelburne's Home Secretary and was created Baron (and afterwards Viscount) 

 Sydney. 



2 This language is given in Hansard, Vol. XVII, p. 1357 — in another and in some 

 respecls a better report the words do not occur: "Debates of the House of Commons 



in the Year 1774 drawn up from the Notes of the Right Honourable Sir 



Henry Cavendish, Bart., London, Ridgway, Piccadilly MDCCCXXXIX." 



3 14 George III, C. 83. Shortt & Doughty, pp. 401 sqq. 



* John Dunning (1731-1783) Soliciter-General (1768-1770), was now in opposi- 

 tion: but in 1782, he joined the Ministry as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, 

 and was created Baron Ashburton. He was a very able lawyer and wrote with 

 clearness and efïect: his speeches read well, too. 



* Colonel Isaac Barré (1726-1802) served under Wolfe at the taking of 

 Quebec where he was dangerously wounded (he is to be seen in West's picture of 

 the Death of Wolfe). He was Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in Lord Chatham's Ad- 

 ministration (1766), but most of his life was in Opposition. 



