112 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



and ordinances for the public peace, welfare and good Government 

 of our said Province and of the people and inhabitants thereof and 

 such others as shall resort thereunto" (14). 



The Royal Instructions, December 7, 1763, directed Murray to 

 "nominate and establish a Council" for the Province to assist him 

 in the administration of Government, i.e., an Executive Council: until 

 the establishment of an Assembly he was "to make such Rules and 

 Regulations by the Advice of Our said Council as shall appear to be 

 necessary for the Peace, Order and good Government of Our said 

 Province:" but he was "with the Advice of Our Council" to "summon 

 and call a General Assembly of the Freeholders in Our said Province 

 .as soon as the more pressing affairs of Government will 

 allow — to give all possible attention to carrying this important object 

 into Execution." After the establishment of an Assembly he was 

 to legislate "with the Advice and Consent of Our said Council and 

 Assembly" (15). 



It is thus clear that it was intended that ultimately Quebec 

 should be governed as the Royal Colonies to the south; but that for 

 the time being there should be but one legislating house whose members 

 were to be also Executive Councillors. 



There is one provision in the Instructions worthy of note in 

 this connection — after reciting that Members of several Assemblies 

 in the Plantations had frequently assumed to themselves Privileges 

 no ways belonging to them, amongs.t others that they had "taken 

 upon them the sole framing of Money Bills refusing to let the Council 

 alter or amend the same," the Instructions proceed "It is also Our 

 further Pleasure that the Council have the like Power of framing 

 Money Bills as the Assembly" (16). The difficulty experienced by 

 many Colonial Governors in the American Colonies with Assemblies 

 claiming the exclusive right to deal with money bills is well known — 

 the story is a most interesting chapter in Constitutional History. 

 Most of the Colonies in defiance of the Home Authorities, the Board 

 of Trade and the Privy Council asserted and successfully asserted 

 this right — perhaps the case of New York is the best known instance 

 of Colonial self-assertion, but Massachusetts, New Jersey, North 

 Carolina and other Colonies were equally firm and equally success- 

 ful (17). 



This provision was intended to prevent such an assertion by "the 

 Commons" of Canada. 



NOTES TO CHAPTER I. 



(1) Those interested in the constitution of Canada under French rule may 

 consult General Murray's Report on the State of the Government of Quebec, June 

 5, 1762; this is printed in convenient form in Shortt and Doughty's Documents 



