36 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
Executive Government has made frequent but fruitless efforts to obtain 
from the Legislature suitable provision for the security of the Province, 
An occasional suspension of the Habeas Corpus could only be obtained 
with such clauses as would defeat the intention of Government. A 
power to exercise martial law concurrent with the law of the land in 
cases of invasion and other emergency was also solicited but refused. 
So cireumstanced it is not surprising that the enemy should receive 
intelligence fatal to the interests of the service. During the several 
visits of his fleet to this seat of Government, it is obvious to general 
apprehension that it has received aid, comfort and assistance from 
many and the general sentiment points out amongst others to the persons 
named in Mr. Allan’s letter, but it must not be concealed that the 
police is too weak to act with effect in securing and detaining all the 
persons, even if any probability existed that prosecution would issue 
in conviction. Such has been the complexion of civil juries in this 
District that such a result is quite hopeless. The enemy has profited by 
the large supply of stores and provisions found unprotected in this post 
to bribe the good will and complacency of many who were not before 
addicted to their cause. Exertion was made by the magistrate after 
the first invasion to repress this evil by taking from its possessors the 
insidious gift of the enemy but abandoned and exposed a second time 
to the threatened vengeance of an exasperated banditti, the gaoler 
refused to take charge a second time of such as the vigilance and exertion 
of the magistrate had apprehended. 
“Your Committee has judged it expedient to offer to Your Honor 
this view of the subject as a justification of the advice in which they 
unanimously concur. 
“Tt is recommended to Your Honor that until a suitable force 
can be afforded for the protection of this place. from the enemy, a de- 
tachment of infantry and cavalry should be stationed here under a 
prudent officer, whose duty it should be to cause to be arrested such 
persons as may be pointed out to him in writing by some confidential 
person in the Commission of the peace as justly suspected of any 
treasonable practice in respect of the enemy or dangerous design against 
the persons of His Majesty’s subjects or the peace of the Government. 
“That such persons when apprehended should as soon as may be with 
the concurrence of the Commander of the Forces, be transferred to 
Lower Canada and there detained during hostilities or until His Honor; 
the President of the Province should recommend his release.’’! 
At the same moment, the Reverend Dr. Strachan wrote that “the 
present crisis demands measures to be taken with the disaffected much 

1 Report of Committee, August 14, 1813. Can. Arch. C 688, pp. 88-9. 
