254 EXPERIMENTS IN GOVERNING CANADA. 



EXPERIMENTS IxN GOVERNING CANADA. 



BY D. A. O'SULLIVAN, D. C. L. 



The Canadian Union novv in its twenty-first year is, so far as the 

 Old Province of Canada is concerned, the latest of several experi- 

 ments, for its good government. That Province was a divided 

 Province for fifty years, and subsequently it was a united one for a 

 little over half that period. With some variations in geography, it 

 was the Old Province of Quebec ; and within thirty yeai's Quebec 

 existed under what may be considei-ed three forms of government. 



The change in 1867 was accordingly the sixth change since the 

 conquest or cession, and since the war commonly called in histoiy the 

 Seven Years War, — the treaty that terminated that war decided the 

 fate of Canada. 



Speaking of the fall of Quebec in 1759, and the capitulation of 

 Montreal in the following year, I think the word conquest a perfectly 

 proper one, and if there had been no treaty of union as there has 

 been, Canada would have remained a conquered rather than a ceded 

 portion of the British Empire. I entirely incline to the view that it 

 is a ceded colony. 



The period between the capitulation and the treaty covers less than 

 three years. This was the period of martial law — the reign of the 

 soldiery. It was of that uncertain character which is to be expected 

 when the ultimate destiny of the country was in suspense — it was in 

 fact an occupation by the English under the government of the drum- 

 head. The English colonists were not satisfied and the French could 

 not be expected to be satisfied. 



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I do not think that the capitulations of Quebec and Montreal sur- 

 vived after 1763, except in so far as they can be read with the Treaty 

 of that year, and whatever parts of the Treaty are inconsistent with 

 these interim stipulations are superseded by it. 



