1829.] The Case (ff the Canadas. 01 



Various as the objects of these several petitions are, and conflicting as 

 are the interests they represent, it will be admitted, at first sight, that 

 there is nothing vague or uncertain in them. When they complain of exist- 

 ing \a.yvs, they state, with perfect certainty and accuracy, the laws which 

 they wish to have changed, and the mode in which they think the change 

 ought to be effected. They indicate precisely, and by name, the indivi- 

 duals whose conduct they say has been unjust and grievous towards 

 them, and they pray for a specific remedy in every case. It will be 

 only necessary to look to the substance of the report made by the Com- 

 mittee in order to ascertain whether the charge of vagueness can be 

 applied to that, and if in neither case it should appear to be well 

 founded, it will be impossible to arrive at any other conclusion than that 

 a strong case has been made out, and one which deserved much greater 

 and more prompt attention than it has as yet received. 



The Committee proceeded in the first instance, after having ascertained 

 the particular complaints of the petitioners, to investigate the several 

 facts stated. Their inquiries appear to have been directed to two princi- 

 pal branches. Fust, to what degree the embarrassments and discon- 

 tents which have long prevailed in the Canadas had arisen from defects 

 in the system of the laws, and the constitutions established in their colo- 

 nies : — and, Sccondh/, How far those evils were to be attributed to the 

 manner in which the existing system has been administered. 



The witnesses examined by the Committee, in addition to those before- 

 mentioned, were principally Mr. Gale, the chairman of the Quarter 

 Sessions for the city and district of JMontreal, ]\Ir. EUice, a proprietor of 

 land in Canada, ]Mr. Neilson, a member of the House of Assembly in 

 Lower Canada, and a resident in the province for thirty-seven years, 

 M. Viger, an advocate at JMontreal, M. CuviUier, a merchant, who has 

 been a member of the Assembly for more than fourteen years, (the last 

 three gentlemen are deputed to support the Lower Canada petition from 

 the Seigneuries) IMr. ]\I'Gillivray, a merchant connected with the North 

 West Company, and whose affairs have led him frequently to visit the 

 provinces, ]\Ir. Parker, a merchant of London, who lived for thirteen 

 years in Canada, and has made frequent voyages between that country 

 and this,* Mr. Grant, and several Clergymen, who gave evidence 

 respecting the Clergy reserves, and the provision to be made for the 

 support of religion and education. The nature of the information 

 fui'nished by these gentlemen is as various as their professions, and the 

 interests which they represent : but they have generally been long resi- 

 dent in the colonies, are connected with them by habits and interests, and 

 are all persons of mature age and experience. The answers given by 

 them are very creditable to themselves, for the great temperance and 

 moderation which they evince on topics which must be confessed to 

 contain matter of excitement, if not of irritation, in the minds of some of 

 them ; and, together, they furnish a body of evidence highly useful 

 and interesting, and absolutely necessary, in order to form a correct 

 judgment respecting the state of the colony, and the justice of the 

 c(jni])laints wliich have been made. Some of the witnesses differ from 

 others on points which may be considered as matters of speculation, and 



* .Mr. I'arker was engaged, in \H2-2, in a correspondence with Lord Datliurst, respcct- 

 ing the Ciinada Trade Act, which he endeavoured to get po.s(poned until the Canadians 

 could be heard ujion it ; but without eftect. His evidence is very interesting :ind ini- 

 I'ortant. A part of it is noticed hereafter. 



