17 



relates to enrolling and embodying the militia^ 

 and imposing taxes for raising the necessary 

 supplies to defray the expenses of governmentv 

 But any acts having for their object the al- 

 teration or repeal of any laws existing an- 

 tecedent to the constitution granted in 1791; 

 the tithes ; grants of land for the maintenance 

 of the Protestant clergy ; the rights of presenta-^ 

 tion to rectories or the endowments of par-^ 

 sonages ; whatever relates to the exercise of 

 religious worship, or disqualification on account 

 of religious tenets; the rights of the clergy; to 

 changes or modifications of the discipline of 

 the church of England ; or of the royal pre- 

 rogative on the subject of waste crown lands, 

 must, after having passed the provincial par- 

 liament, be submitted to the British parliament, 

 and receive the royal assent before they can 

 pass into laws. The house of assembly is com- 

 posed of fifty-two members, and is a model on 

 a small scale of the house of commons of the 

 imperial parliament; the representatives are 

 extensive proprietors of land, and are elected 

 for . the districts and counties by the votes 

 of persons being actual possessors of landed 

 property of at least forty shillings clear an- 

 nual value: for the city of Quebec and the 

 towns, they are chosen by voters who must be 

 possessed of a dwelling-house and piece of 



c 



