CiiAP. 6. 



LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS. 



103 



REBELLION IN CANADA. 



SLAVERY AND THE RIGHT OF PETITION, 



October, Governor Jenison, who was 

 again elected by the people, adverted 

 freely to the causes ot'thc present distress, 

 and closed his remarks on that topic by 

 saying-, that the wretched condition of the 

 country "admonishes to economy in our 

 public, and industry and frugality in our 

 private affairs." The attention of the gen- 

 eral assembly having been for several 

 years called by tlie governor to the ineffi- 

 cient organization of the militia of this 

 state, a general act was passed at this 

 session for its better regulation and gov- 

 ernment. Resolutions were also passed 

 declaring the right of Congress to abolish 

 slavery and the slave trade in the District 

 of Columbia ; and solcrrmhj protesting 

 against the admission of Texas, or any 

 other state, into this union, whose consti- 

 tution tolerates domestic slaver^'. 



In the month of November of this year 

 commenced the ill-advised rebellion in 

 Lower Canada. The people of this state, 

 ignorant, in a great measure, of the true 

 state of things in that province, liad their 

 sympathies very generally awakened in 

 behalf of a people struggling, as they sup- 

 posed, like our fathers in the revolution, 

 to free themselves from the iron arm of 

 tyranny and oppression, and the disposi- 

 tion to encourage the insurgents was 

 manifested by public meetings, with in- 

 flammatory addresses and resolutions, in 

 various places, and the more ardent and 

 inconsiderate were engaged in collecting 

 arms and men, and conveying them to 

 the neighborhood of the line, to be em- 

 ployed in the patriot war. In this state 

 of thino-s, Gov. Jenison issued a procla- 

 mation, cautioning the citizens of this 

 state against letting their enthusiasm in 

 the cause of liberty lead them to acts in- 

 consistent with the treaty relations be- 

 tween the United States and Great Brit- 

 ain, and warning them of the peril of vio- 

 lating the laws of neutrality established 

 by Congress. But so great was the ex- 

 citement at the time, that this proclama- 

 tion, which is now regarded as well suit- 

 ed to the occasion, and honorable to the 

 governor, was treated by the public press 

 in this state with almost universal cen- 

 sure and condemnation ; sad proof, how 

 easily feelin<r may triumph over reason ! 



The insurtrents, who had escaped into 

 the United States, after their defeat and 

 dispersion from St Charles and St. Eu- 

 stache, made unwearied etlbrts to collect 

 forces and supplies along tlie line, and, 

 the latter part of February, 1838, resolved 

 upon advancing into Canada from Al- 

 burgh, in this state. Being prevented 

 from forming on this side of the line by 

 Gen. Wool, who had command of a body 



of militia on the frontier, they crossed 

 over and organized on the Canada side, 

 to the number of five or six hundred ; 

 but they were undisciplined, poorly arm- 

 ed and poorly supplied with ammunition 

 and provisions. In this condition of things. 

 Gen. Wool received intelligence that 16 

 or 1700 British troops were on the march 

 to attack the invaders. He immediately 

 communicated this information to the 

 patriots, giving them permission to return 

 and surrender their arms to him ; but, if 

 they did not see fit to do that, and should 

 attempt to retreat into Vermont, when 

 attacked by the British, he informed them 

 that he should order the militia to fire up- 

 on them. The men, belonging to the pat- 

 riot force, by an almost unanimous vote, 

 expressed their willingness to stand their 

 ground, and trust the consequences ; but 

 their officers had not forgotten that dis- 

 cretion is the better part of valor. The 

 little army, therefore, recrossed the line, 

 laid down their arms, and dispersed. 



Mt. Jenison was again elected gover- 

 nor in 1838. Having in his message of 

 this, and of several preceding years, in- 

 vited the attention of the legislature, ta 

 tlie subject of imprisonment for debt, a 

 law was passed, declaring that "no per- 

 son shall be ijereafter arrested, or impris- 

 oned on mesne process, or on any execu- 

 tion issued on a judgment founded on a 

 contract,express or implied, made or enter- 

 ed into after the first day of January, 

 18.39." Resolutions were also passed at 

 this session, reiterating the sentiments of 

 the resolutions, of 1837, in relation to 

 Texas, and the District of Columbia, and 

 declaring the resolution of Congress, pro- 

 hibiting the debating, printing, reading, 

 or referring petitions and memorials on 

 the subject of slavery, to be " a daring 

 infringement of the right of the people 

 to petition, and a flagrant violation of the 

 constitution of the United States." 



In 1837, [an act was passed, authorizing 

 the governor and lieutenant governor, to 

 appoint five suitable persons, to revise, 

 compile and arrange, the statute laws of 

 this state ; in pursuance of which, Robert 

 Pierpont, Samuel Swift, John Smith, 

 Norman Williams, and Lucius B. Peck, 

 were appointed to that service. After 

 two years attention to the subject, these 

 commissioners in the fall of 1839 laid the 

 result of their labors before the legisla- 

 ture ; and the discussion and adoption of 

 these Revised Statutes, occupied the 

 greater part of the session, wiiich was 

 consequently protracted much beyond the 

 usual period. 



The year 1840 witnessed one of the 

 most tremendous efforts to change the 



