34 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The acting Attorney General, John Beverley Robinson, reported 
to a committee of the Executive Council that many of the disaffected 
inhabitants of the Niagara District had actually joined the enemy, 
leaving, in some instances, large crops of grain nearly ready for harvest 
and it was consequently recommended that commissioners should be 
appointed to make arrangements for reaping and saving this grain for 
the public benefit with power to appraise it and answer any claims 
rising out of this measure.! 
Commissioners were accordingly appointed by a District General 
Order and proceeded to take charge of the property thus sequestrated. 
General Vincent sought and obtained authority to seize provisions 
and forage for the supply of his division from persons refusing to sell 
and a General Order was published practically establishing martial law 
in that respect. Replying to an inquiry from General de Rottenburg 
as the proper mode of proceeding against prisoners charged with sedi- 
tious conduct, the Governor General frankly advised him to declare 
the province under the operation of martial law and thereby suspend 
the jurisdiction of the ordinary courts of law if he deemed it necessary.” 
The second occupation of York by the enemy although of very 
brief duration was attended by another convincing demonstration of 
disaffection. “There was several of the inhabitants constantly wt 
them” Major Allan wrote, “who are known to be as great enemys as 
are in the country, to wit, a Mr. John Young, mercht, Mr. Stebbins, a 
tavern keeper, Mr. Gilbert, blacksmith, Mr. Peters, a lawyer, who 
receives half pay & a pension besides, a notorious man, and a great 
many in the country well known. In short Commodore Chauncey 
owned to the Revd. Dr. Strachan that he never heard of any place that 
contained half the number of persons publicly known and avowedly 
to be enemys to the government & country to be allowed to remain at 
rest in these parts and for our peril. I can positively assert that if 
immediate steps (more ready than by civil process) is not taken to 
apprehend & send away those people from the country the-consequence 
will be serious. 
“I take the liberty of enclosing Dr. Strachan’s two notes I rec’d. 
“This is a very confused letter & perhaps troubling you improperly 
but had I proceeded on my journey at this time I could have given a 
great deal more information. I most fervently pray as does several 
good & faithful subjects that some establishment may be kept at York 
and that something may be done about taking up those characters, 
! Chief Justice Scott to de Rottenburg, July 18, 1813. Can. Arch. Sundries, 
U.C. 1813. 
* Prevost to de Rottenburg, July 28, 1813. Can. Arch. C. 1221 pp. 143-4. 

