EXPERIMENTS IN GOVERNING CANADA. 255 



Tliis period ought not strictly to be classed with our experiments in 

 the government of Canada, but Canada was in somewise governed in 

 that time though the subjects or citizens had no voice in the admin- 

 istration. 



The Treaty of cession was, after long deliberation, signed in 

 February, 1763 It was an international document signed by the 

 representatives of England, France and Spain, and the signature of a 

 representative from Portugal also testified to the concurrence of his 

 country. 



The Treaty provided for no domestic matters except freedom of 

 religion to the new subjects of the British King, and so the municipal 

 government of Canada must be looked for in some other document. 

 The Treaty was the deed of conveyance just as the Treaty of 1803, 

 conveying Louisiana to the United States, or the Treaty of 1819, 

 disposing of Floiida. 



The Proclamation of 1763, is an important document historically, 

 but before referring to it a glance at the map will assist very materi- 

 ally in estimating the geographical position of affairs. 



In 1763, the old thirteen Colonies were still British — they extended 

 eastward of the Mississippi to the seaboard, and from Acadia in the 

 north to Florida in the south. New France whatevtu- its western 

 limits may have been is very ge)ierally associated with the name 

 Canada. The Mississippi was taken to be the boundary after 1763 

 between France and England ; and so, when Canada with all its 

 dependencies was ceded to England, it embraced roughly whatever lay 

 to the east of that river and north of what were then and afterwards 

 British Colonies. By a subsequent clause in the Treaty of 1763, 

 Spain ceded Florida to England, and the latter found herself with 

 two strips of the continent to be dealt with in the Proclamation 

 of government. This territory was divided into four parts of which 

 this country was one ; and the only portion of the Proclamation per- 

 tinent to our subject is this that " as soon as the state and circum- 

 " stances of the said colonies will admit thereof, the governors will 

 " summon and call general assemblies, with power to make laws for 

 " the public peace, welfare and good government of the inhabitants 

 " as near as may be agreeable to the laws of England. In the mean- 



