which was printed in the French language, and difperfed it into all parts of the country, accompanied with explanatory obfervations and arguments which yet remain unanswered. That his Majefty's Canadian fubjects, who joined in the faid Petition of 1784, to the number of one thousand five hundred and eighteen, and whofe fentiments and wishes are fill the fame, are more than double in number, and not less respectable, than the Petitioners of the 13th of October laft, in point of loyalty, wealth, character, or knowledge of the true interefts of this Province. That the agent of the said Petitioners of 1784, in carrying forward their Petition to the notice and difcuffion of Parliament, was not guilty either of temerity or injuftice in presenting himself in the name of, and as agent for, thofe Petitioners, being unanimoufly chofen and empowered for that purpose by the English and Canadian Committees, reprefenting the whole body of Petitioners, whether old or new fubjects. Your Memorialifts beg leave to observe to your Excellency, that many of the Petitioners of the 13th October laft, did, in a Petition to the Throne in the year 1783, complain of the actual legiflature in a more pointed manner than is fet forth in our Petition of 1784, yet they do not now afk for any reform in the prefent fyftem of government; but prefer a diftinction among his Majef ty's 66 ty's fubjects; notwithstanding that in the aforefaid Petition of 1783, they pray," that whatever " form of government it fhall please his Majesty "to establish in this Province, they may be ad"mitted freely, and without diftinction, to par→ "ticipate in the precious rights and privileges "which his Majefty's fubjects enjoy, in whatever part of the empire they are fituated." Your Lordship being fully fenfible that British fubjects confider as one of their most valuable privileges, the right of being reprefented in the legislature, your Petitioners humbly conceive, that to them it more properly belongs to remark, that to refuse them this diftinguishing privilege, implies a doubt of that loyalty and attachment which they have never ceased to demonstrate. Your Memorialifts yield with reluctance to a neceffary part of their duty, in remarking to your Lordship, with all due respect, that in the lift of their opponents appear the names of Judges, Counsellors, and others, in the enjoyment of penfions and places of profit under the prefent fyftem of government, to the amount of two thousand feven hundred and forty-five pounds, upon which circumstance they forbear to comment. That in the faid lift, particularly among the feigniors, the names of fome appear who are not feigniors, and of others who having affumed titles to which they are found to have no pretenfions; we fubmit to your Lord, hip what weight perfons of thofe defcriptions, ought justly to have in the prefent cafe. That the Petitioners of the 13th October luft, having reprefented themselves to his Majefty, and to your Lordship, as the great proprietors or principal landholders in this province, your Memorialifts think it incumbent on them to ftate to your Lordship, from the best information they can procure, an account of all the feigniories in Canada, (thofe of his Majefty and the religious communities excepted) with an estimate of their annual value, which is hereunto annexed, and humbly fubmitted to your Lordship's knowledge and information. By the aforefaid estimate, your Lordship will obferve, that the annual revenue of the feigniories, in the poffeffion of his Majefty's ancient fubjects, exceeds the fum of ten thousand pounds. That the feigniories poffeffed by his Majefty's new fubjects, who have not joined in the petition of the 13th October laft, are computed at the yearly income of eight thousand eight hundred and ninetyfive pounds, whilft the feigniories belonging to the fubfcribers to that addrefs do not amount in annual revenue to fix thousand pounds; from this comparative statement, which your memorialists have reafon to confider as free from error as the nature of the enquiry will admit of, your Excellency may judge how far the Petitioners of the 13th October laft are entitled to that pre-eminence which which they claim, and if the real and perfonal eftates of all the other Petitioners of 1784, could be thus contrafted with thofe of their opponents, the great fuperiority of the former would be ftill more evident and ftriking, efpecially as the commercial property in this province, whether belonging to the merchants of Great Britain or Canada, is almost wholly represented by the Petitioners of 1784, an eftimate of which was fubmitted to the Honourable Legislative Council in their feffion of 1787, amounting to the fum of one million two hundred and forty-fix thousand and twentythree pounds, fix fhillings and eight-pence. Your Mcmorialists beg leave further to add, that the extenfive and valuable poffeffions of the numerous loyalifts and others lately fettled in this province, and which are daily encreasing, are not reckoned and comprehended in any of the foregoing efti mates. That the oppofition made by the petition of the 13th of October laft, to that of November 1784, being thus founded on mistaken principles, and on fuppofed facts which do not exist, muft neceffarily lose that weight which it might otherwife have had, by the fanction of some respectable names. Your Petitioners therefore unite with their Opponents in praying, that your Lordship will be pleafed to report and characterise both parties in fuch a manner manner as will fhew to our most gracious So. vereign, and the British Parliament, the true importance, poffeffions, and interefts of the one and the other. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. &c. Montreal, 1ft December 1788. Signed by the English and French Committes of the Cities of Quebec and Mon real. |