[riddell] PRE-ASSEMBLY LEGISLATURES IN BRITISH CANADA 129 



Colonies to the South. No instance of such an Act or Ordinance is 

 recorded in Quebec but the Home Authorities disallowed many from 

 the Thirteen Colonies, being inexorable in requiring the formalities, 

 &c., to be strictly observed (2). 



The Quebec Act by Sec. 12 gave the Council Power to make 

 Ordinances for the peace, welfare and good government of the Province 

 with the consent of the Governor; it contained no such provision 

 concerning private bills as we have been considering, but the Royal 

 Instructions to Carleton and Haldimand the subsequent Governors 

 (3) have practically the same language in this regard as the In- 

 structions to Murray. 



In 1763, Murray's Instructions further provided that in all laws 

 for raising money or imposing fines &c., express mention should be 

 made that the same is granted to the King for the public uses of the 

 Province and that the money so raised is to be accounted for to the 

 Imperial Treasury and audited by the Auditor General of the Plant- 

 ations or his Deputy. 



It was of course part of the general policy of Britain not to make 

 a direct profit out of her Colonies, being satisfied with the profits of 

 commerce; as a consequence any money raised by the Colonies was 

 to be applied to their use. Nevertheless Britain never until forced 

 by arms in the American Revolution gave up her supreme power over 

 the Colonies and their inhabitants and resources. This provision was 

 a plain intimation that Responsible Government was not to have 

 sway in Canada, the money raised in and by the new Colony was to be 

 accounted for not to the Council of the Colony but to officers of the 

 Imperial Government (4). 



The Quebec Act is silent also on this matter but the Instructions 

 to the Governors Carleton (1775 and 1786) and Haldimand (1778) con- 

 tain the like clause (5). Murray's instructions further provided that 

 no law which (a) might tend to affect the Commerce or Shipping of 

 the Kingdom or (b) should in any way relate to the Royal Rights 

 and Prerogatives or (c) the property or subjects or (d) should be of 

 an unusual or extraordinary character should be approved without 

 the signification of the Royal pleasure (6). 



(a) It was the settled policy of the Board of Trade to look upon 

 the Colonies primarily as markets for British manufactures and as 

 suppliers of raw materials; sometimes indeed shipbuilding was encour- 

 aged in America but as a rule the American shipowner was not encour- 

 aged. Many disputes took place between American Colonies and the 

 Board of Trade, the former looking to local profit the latter to advan- 

 tage to British Commerce and shipping. ^\C^7 



Sec. I & II, Sig. 9 





