76 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



tion, while he admitîtcd that he had been concerned in its establishment 

 as the political organ of the French-Canadians. He had a large family 

 dependent upon him, and the Governor-General, who probably desired to 

 show the people that he was neitJier implacable nor ungenerous promptly 

 re-instated him. The commissions as officers of the militia held by four 

 members of tJie new Assembly, Panet, the former Speaker, Bedard, 

 Borgia and Blanohet, were at the siame time revoked. Panet was lieu- 

 tenant-colonel ; Bedard, a captain ; Borgia, a lieutenant, and Blanchet, 

 a surgeon in tlie town militia of Quebec. The commission of J. T. Tas- 

 chereau, anotlier captain, was also cancelled, and his father, Hon. G. E. 

 Taschereau, the Grand voyer of Quebec, was directed to cease employing 

 him as his deputy. These dismissals naturally provoked a storm of in- 

 dignation in the columns of Le Canadien, whereupon the Mercury 

 tartly reminded the complainants that during the election for tihe 

 county of Quebec, a hand-bill had been circulated in which the Govern- 

 ment had been described as '' feeble." '' Those concerned in the hand- 

 bill," it added, " now it seems, feel that they are not quite under the 

 government of King Log," ^ 



The Legislatture did not meet until April 9th, 1809, when Panet 

 was immediately re-elected Speaker of the Assembly in the expectation, 

 it was generally supposed, that Craig would refuse to recognize him, but 

 he deemed it politic to confinn their choice which was done through the 

 Speaker of the Legislative Council in rather chilling terms. 



In his speech from the throne, the Governor-General referred to the 

 satisfactory results of the Embargo Act of the United States, which he 

 declared had called forth the energies of the people of Canada, and 

 made them better acquainted with the resources of their own country. 

 By industry and perseverance he anticipated that the advantages already 

 secured might he made peiinanent and he expressed his hope that the 

 Ijegislaturo would not allow causeless jealousies and suspicion of the 

 Government to blight these fair prospects. 



The question whether judges should be permitted to sit in 

 the Assembly, which had been debated in the preceding parlia- 

 ment, was again brougiht forward, but a motion to expel Hon. 

 P. A. de Bonne, a justice of the King's Bench, who had been 

 re-elected for the County of Quebec, was defeated and the question 

 was referred to a committee. The expulsion of Mr. Hart was, 

 however, effected by a resolution declaring that " Ezekiel Hart, 

 professing the Jewish religion, cannot sit or vote in this House.'' 

 The majority obstinaitely refused to hear any argument founded on the 



' Christie, Hist. Canada, Vol. I. p. 277. 



