114 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF^ CANADA 



The Council insisted (the salary of Chief Justice Wright, one of its members 

 was in question) ; but there was the usual outcome — the Council was forced to give 

 way. 



An account of this dispute is given' in "The Life of Henry Laurens," by Dr. 

 Wallace, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1915, at pp. 37 sqq. — the 

 learned author speaks of the House of Assembly's "arrogant and tyrannical exercise 

 of power." 



CHAPTER II. 



1763-1774. The First Legislature. 



It is now fitting that the composition of this Legislative Council 

 should be considered. 



In addition to the two persons selected by the Home Government 

 as Lieuteant-Governors of the Districts of Montreal and Trois Rivières 

 respectively, the Chief Justice of Quebec and the Surveyor General 

 of Customs for the Northern District of North America (both also 

 selected by the Home Administration) the Governor was to choose 

 eight other persons "from amongst the most considerable of the 

 Inhabitants of or Persons of Property in" the Province: those chosen 

 were to take the oath of Supremacy and to sign the Declaration 

 against Transubstantiation, etc., (1) as well as to take the oath of 

 office; their names and characters were to be sent to the Board of 

 Trade so that if any should not be approved by the Board, their place 

 could be filled with others. The Governor might remove or suspend 

 any Councillor for just cause and appoint others, until the will of the 

 Crown should be known — but he was not to remove or suspend any 

 Councillor who had been confirmed by the Crown, without good and 

 sufficient cause and the consent of the majority of the Council after 

 due examination of the charge against him and his answer. No 

 member was to be absent from the Province more than six months 

 without leave of the Governor or Commander in Chief; and not for 

 a year without leave given under the Sign Manual of the King; if 

 anyone wilfully absented himself, residing in the Province, he was to 

 be admonished and if he persisted in his default after admonition he 

 was to be suspended till the Royal pleasure should be known. In all 

 cases of suspension for any cause, a full account of the proceedings 

 and of the reasons for suspension was to be transmitted at once to the 

 Board of Trade. 



The Members of the Council were "to have and enjoy Freedom 

 of Debate and Vote in all Afi^airs of Public Concern that may be de- 

 bated in Council," and all Laws, Statutes and Ordinances passed 

 were to be transmitted within three months of their passing to the 

 Board of Trade (2). 



