208 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The choice of Jautard as editor was most unfortunate, for, soon 

 forgetting, or ignoring the publisher's promise to steer clear of things 

 religious and political, he started a tirade against both, which he kept 

 up with short intermissions to the end; for, while the first number of 

 the Gazette appeared on the 3rd. of June, a month had not elapsed ere 

 Mesplet and his editor, Jautard, were ordered by Guy Carleton to leave 

 the province before the 15th of September. Mesplet continued the 

 issue of the paper regularly imtil the 19th of August, when it appeared 

 as a single page consisting of a letter from the "printer" "to the 

 public," which complained that: " Since a few days I have had a fresh 

 grievance which constrains me to cease publishing my Gazette. This 

 new one has almost decided me ; I have too many enemies. The slight- 

 est move on my part, however innocent, increases the number; and I 

 owe it to myself to be saved from further persecution. 



" ISTevertheless, I will continue, if authorized by the government and 

 encouraged by an increase in the number of subscribers. I prefer to 

 sacrifice my own interests to exposing myself to further disgrace ; and, 

 if I may presume to say so, I flatter myself that those who lauded 

 my enterprise in establishing a periodical will be pained at its being 

 discontinued." The appeal had the desired effect. It stirred up his 

 friends to action ; for a numerously signed petition ^ was presented to 

 the governor, setting forth the benefits the paper had been to the com- 

 munity, the need of a printer in the city, and' Mesplet's good character 

 and asking that the order for him to leave the pro^dnce be not enforced. 

 In compliance with this petition General Haldimand, who had just 

 replaced Carleton as governor, issued, on the 2'ith of August, a notice 

 signed b_v his secretary, Edward Foy,^ suspending, for the time being, 

 the order for the banishment of Mesplet and his associate, on condition 

 that they take the oath of allegiance within two days and submit all 

 their articles to an inspector, to be appointed by the governor before 

 publication. 



The first censoV appointed for this duty was a Mr. Gordon, but, 

 as he left for England shortly afterwards, the office was allowed to fall 

 into abeyance, and the paper being left to itself returned to its old 

 course and again came imder the displeasure of the authorities; for, 

 on the 28th of September, in a letter to Cramahé, Haldima.nd writes: 

 '- 1 have observed several improper things published in our Gazette." ' 

 and later Cramahé replies: ' Our printer has a penchant to the popular 



^ See appendix C No. 7. 

 ^ Ihid No. 8. 

 UJnd No. 10. 



