1901-2.] The Beginning of Municipal Government in Ontario. 415 



geneous elements, as regards nationality and creed, hence the ecclesias- 

 tical features of the New England system are wanting. On the other 

 hand, the powers of the Court of Quarter Sessions were more extensive 

 than in New England, though much less so than in Virginia. While, 

 therefore, in most parts of New York the town meeting was a very 

 important institution, yet it had a narrower field of operation, being 

 encroached upon in this respect by the Court of Quarter Sessions. It is 

 this modification of the New England system which we should naturally 

 expect to find reproduced in Canada. 



After the Quebec Act, which uprooted all previously planted British 

 institutions, and the American invasion, which prevented the operation 

 of almost any civil government, the governor and council once more set 

 to work to build up a system of courts and local administration, in 

 accordance with the re-established French-Canadian laws. Little pro- 

 gress, however, was made in the latter field before the arrival of the 

 loyalists in 1785. Throughout the war, a steady stream of refugees 

 sought the protection and aid of the British Government in Canada. 

 The first regular body of loyalists, strictly so called, was brought in and 

 settled under military leadership. Governor Haldimand had expected 

 to superintend their settlement himself, but being engaged in other 

 quarters, he assigned the task to Sir John Johnson in May, 1784. In a 

 couple of private letters to Johnson, he stated that he intended to 

 recommend him for the position of Lieutenant-Governor and Commander 

 of the Western District, and Superintendent General of all the refugee 

 loyalists to be settled there.^ Though this plan was not realized, yet in 

 July, 1784, Johnson was appointed to superintend the settling of the 

 loyalists and Indians in the new district. 



In order that the leaders might have adequate authority to deal with 

 such legal matters as were connected with the settlement and the 

 keeping of the peace, magistrates' commissions were given to Sir John 

 Johnson, Maj. De Lancey, Maj. Holland, Maj. Ross, Maj. Jessup, and 

 Mr. Collins, who were thus constituted the first justices of the peace for 

 the new settlements.'-^ 



As already stated, these settlements were to be established under 

 French-Canadian law, and the lands granted under the French feudal 

 tenure. The dividing of the district into townships had nothing to do 

 with legal administration or local government, but was entirely a matter 

 of convenience in surveying the territory and recording the lots of land. 



1 Canadian Archives, B. 65, pp. 22 and 29. 



2 Canadian Archives, B. 65, p. 28. 



