All Estates bound from the Day of the Judgment; 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 Provided always, and it is hereby, and by the Authority aforesaid, further Ordained and Declared, That from and after the Day of the Date of the Publication aforesaid, all Houses and Lands against which any Writ or Writs of Execution shall be awarded for the sale of the same, shall be taken to be, and they are hereby, and by the Authority aforesaid, declared to be obliged and bound in Law to pay and satisfy all and every Judgment or Judgments, which shall and may be obtained against the Owner and Proprietors thereof, from the Day on which such Judgment or Judgments shall be pronounced or given; . And no Con- and that no Mortgage, Sale, or Assignment, or any Deed of Conveyance, or Disposition any Disposition without Deed whatsoever, howsoever, or to whomsoever, made good after the after the Day on which such Judgment or Judgments shall be pronounced or Date of Such given as aforesaid, shall defeat, avoid, suspend, or delay the Force and Oper veyance or Judgment. Judges to mark on the Writ of Execution the ment; ation of such Judgment or Judgments; but all and every such Mortgage, Sale, Assignment, Deed, and Disposition, shall be taken to be, and all and every of them are and is hereby declared to be fraudulent, as against the said Judg. ment, Creditor or Creditors, and to have no Validity, Power, Operation, or Effect whatsoever, to the Prejudice of such Judgment Creditor or Creditors. And lastly, It is further Ordained and Declared by the Authority aforesaid; That all Judges and other Persons authorized to administer Justice, issuing any Writ of Execution, as well where the Cause of Action shall Day of signing exceed the Sum of Twelve Pounds as aforesaid, as where it falls short of, or the Judg is equal to that Sum, shall and they are hereby authorized and required to mark upon such Writ of Execution the Day on which Judgment was given in the Cause, and if Two or more Writs of Execution shall be issued upon Judgment given the same day, against the same Defendant or Defendants, and so marked upon the Writs, such Execution shall have the same Privilege, and be satisfied in the same Proportions, and the Provost Marshal, Bailiff, or other Person, to whom such Writs of Execution shall be Awarded, Same Defendant on the receiving the same, is hereby authorized and commanded, after the sale Same Day, to of the whole of such Defendant or Defendants Real and Personal Estate, equal Proportions. And in Case of Two or more Executions against the be Satisfied in where the Said Writs shall be awarded against both, in case the same should not be sufficient to satisfy the whole of the said Judgments, to pay over and divide the Neat Produce of such Sale or Sales, after deducting his own Costs and Charges, amongst the several Plaintiffs, in Proportion to the Amount of their respective Judgments. Given by His Excellency Guy Carleton, Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the Province of Quebec, Vice Admiral of the same, and Brigadier General of His Majesty's Forces, & & in Council, at the Castle of St. Lewis, in the City of Quebec, in the said Province, and passed under the Great Seal of the Said Province, on the First Day of February, in the Tenth Year of His Majesty's Reign, and in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Seventy. By His Excellency's Command SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 PETITION FOR A GENERAL ASSEMBLY1. To the King's most Excellent Majesty. The humble Petition of Your Majesty's most dutiful and Loyal Subjects the British Freeholders, Merchants and Traders in the Province of Quebec in behalf of themselves and others. Sheweth, That induced by Your Majesty's paternal care for the security of the Liberties and Properties of your Subjects, and encouraged by Your Royal Proclamation of the Seventh of October in the third year of your Reign, "That you had been graciously pleased to give direction to Your Governors "of Your Majesty's new Governments, that so soon as the state and circum"stances thereof would admit, they should with the advice of the members "of Your Majesty's Council call General Assemblies within the said Gov"ernments respectively, in such manner as is used in those Provinces in "America under Your Majesty's immediate government." Your Petitioners most humbly implore Your Majesty's gracious attention to their supplications, confiding as they do in your Royal goodness, that only to point out in general the present state and circumstances of this Province, is to obtain the Royal Mandate for calling a General Assembly within the same, which operating with Your Majesty's gracious intention for the good and welfare of your People, will strengthen the hands of Government, give encouragement and protection to Agriculture and Commerce, encrease the Publick Revenues, and we trust, will in time under Your Majesty's Royal influence be the happy means of uniting your new subjects in a due conformity and attachment to the British Laws and Constitution and rendering the conquest of this extensive and populous country truly glorious. That as the great Source of the wealth and riches of a country principally consists in the numbers of its Inhabitants usefully employed, Your Petitioners cannot but lament that the great numbers of your Majesty's new Subjects in this Province for want of such publick encouragement as an Assembly only can properly give to improve its natural advantages, have hitherto proved rather a burthen than any benefit to themselves or advantage to the community; their extreme poverty and misery increasing with their numbers. That Your Majesty's British Subjects residing in this Province have set examples and given every encouragement in their power to promote Industry, are the principal Importers of British Manufactures, carry on three fourths of the Trade of this Country, annually return a considerable Revenue into Your Majesty's Exchequer in Great Britain; and though the great advantages this Country is naturally capable of are many and obvious for promotting the Trade and Manufactures of the Mother Country, yet for some time past, both its Landed and Commercial Interests have been declining, and if a General Assembly is not soon order'd by Your Majesty to make and enforce due obedience to Laws for encouraging Agriculture, regulating the Trade, discouraging such Importations from the other Colonies as impoverish the Province, Your Petitioners have the greatest reason to apprehend their own ruin as well as that of the Province in general. That there is now a sufficient number of Your Majesty's Protestant Subjects residing in and possessed of real property in this Province, and who are 1 Canadian Archives, Q7, p. 359. The date of the petition is not given, but it would appear to be some time in 1770. 2 See Proclamation of October 7, 1763, p. 120. 18-3-19 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 otherwise qualified to be Members of a General Assembly. Your Petitioners therefore most humbly supplicate Your Majesty, That You will be graciously pleased to give direction to Your Governor of this Province to call a General Assembly within the same, to meet at the City of Quebec, in such manner as is used in those Provinces in America under Your Majesty's immediate Government. And Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray. PETITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF FRENCH LAW AND CUSTOM. AU ROY TRÈS GRACIEUX SOUVERAIN PLAISE À VOTRE MAJESTÉ. VOS TRÈS HUMBLES & très Soumis Sujets Les Canadians de votre Province de Quebec osent S'addresser a Votre Majesté avec le plus profond Respect et cette ferme Confiance que leur inspirent votre bonté paternelle pour tous vos fidels Sujets en général & Les faveurs dont Votre Majesté a Jusqu'icy prevenue Ses nouveaux Sujets Canadiens qui en conserveront à jamais le Souvenir et La plus parfaite reconnoissance. Depuis l'Instant, Sire, de L'union de cette Province aux Domaines de Votre Couronne, vos très humbles Sujets ont pris la Liberté de vous réprésenter plusieurs fois, de quelle importance il étoit pour leurs interrêts d'être Jugeés et Gouvernées Suivant les Loix, Coutures, & Ordonnances, Sous Lesquels Ils sont nés, qui servent de Baze et de fondements à Leurs possessions et font La règle de Leurs familles, et combien il leur estoit à la fois desagréable, & humilliant d'être Exclus des places qu'ils pourroient remplir dans cette Province pour le Service de Votre Majesté et le Soulagement de Votre Peuple Canadien, unique Moyen d'exiter L'émulation. Sans fatiguer Votre Majesté par le détail des meaux que leur a Occasionné La privation de ces avantages, dont elle a été instruite par des représentations précedentes de La part de vos fidels Sujets Canadiens; ils se contenteront de Lui dire que de La maniere differente de procedder quant à la forme, et quant au fond dans les affaires Civiles, et du prix exhorbitant des Sallaires éxigés par Les gens de Loix, S'est en suivie La Ruine d'un nombre considerable de familles. Votre peuple Canadien, Sire, déja Ecrasé par tant d'autres Calamitées, n'avoit pas besoin de ce surcroit d'Infortune. La Religion, Sire, que nous professons, et dans la profession de Laquelle Il vous a plû nous assurer que nous ne Serions jamais troublées, quoique differente de celle de vos autres Sujets, Seroit-elle un motif (du moins dans Votre Province de Quebec) pour Exclure une si considérable peuplade 1 See Proclamation of Oct. 7th, 1763, p. 120. 2 Canadian Archives, Q7, p. 363. The date of this petition is not given, but it was apparently drawn up at the time of Governor Carleton's return to Britain in 1770. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 18 d'Enfants Soumis & fidels à La participation aux bontés du meilleur des Roys, du plus tendre des peres. Non Sire, Le préjugé ne perça jamais Jusqu'à Votre Thrône; vous aimés égallement & Sans distinction tous vos fidels sujets, vos Canadiens auront toujours pour Votre auguste personne Le plus parfait amour, La plus grande Soûmission; c'est à ces titres, Sire, qu'ils attendent de Votre Majesté La même bienveillance, La meme protection que vous accordés a tous vos Sujets. Déja Instruits, Sire, par Le Général Guy Carleton, Gouverneur de Votre Province de vos favorables dispositions à notre Egard, c'est a ce digne représentant de Votre Majestée qui connoit parfaitement L'Etat de cette Colonie, & Les Moeurs des peuples, que nous confions nos tres-humbles Supplications pour Les porter au pied de votre Thrône: Le Rapport, Sire, que vous fera Le Genereux Sage et désinterressé Gouverneur et de nos meaux qu'il a adouci autant qu'il Lui a été possible & de notre Conduite Soûmise & affectionné Envers Le Gouvernement, achevera, nous l'esperer Ce que votre Coeur Royal & paternel a déja commencé. osons Rendus à nos coutumes et a nos usages, administrées suivant la forme que nous connoissons, chaque particulier sçaura La force de ses titres & Le moyen de se deffendre, sans être obligé à dépenser plus que La valleur de Son fond, pour Se maintenir dans sa possession. Devenu Capables de Servir en toute Condition Notre Roy, & notre patrie, nous ne Gemirons plus de cet état d'humiliation qui nous rend pour ainsi dire La vie insupportable, & Semble avoir fait de nous, une Nation réprouvée. Comblés, Sire, de vos Graces, et de vos faveurs, pénétrés d'amour et de reconnoissance, nous apprendrons à nos Enfants Les bienfaits dont nous sommes redevables à Votre Majestée; & ils se joindront a nous pour implorer les Bénédictions du Ciel sur votre personne Sacrée, sur votre auguste famille, & pour la prosperité & l'aggrandisement de vos domaines. Your most humble and most obedient subjects, The Canadians of your Province of Quebec dare to address themselves to Your Majesty with the 6-7 EDWARD VII., A. 1907 deepest respect and with that firm confidence which is inspired in them by your paternal goodness for all your faithful Subjects in general, and by the Favours with which up to the present time Your Majesty has laden his new Canadian Subjects, who will ever preserve the memory of them and the deepest gratitude for them. From the Moment, Sire, of the union of this Province to the Dominion of your Crown, your most humble servants have taken the Liberty of frequently representing to you, of what importance to their interests it was to be judged and governed according to the Laws Customs and regulations under which they were born, which serve as the Basis and Foundation of their possessions, and are the rule of their families, and how painful and at the same time how humiliating it has been to them to be excluded from the offices which they might fill in this Province, for the Service of Your Majesty, and the Comfort of Your Canadian People,—the only way to excite emulation. Without wearying Your Majesty with details of the ills which the deprivation of their advantages have occasioned them, concerning which Your Majesty has been informed by previous representations, on the part of your faithful Canadian subjects, they will be content with simply telling you that from the different mode of procedure both as regards form and essence in civil affairs, and from the exorbitant rate of the fees exacted by the Lawyers there has ensued the Ruin of a considerable number of families. Your Canadian people, Sire, who are already overwhelmed by so many other calamities, had no need of this increase of misfortune. Could the religion we profess, Sire, and in the profession of which it has pleased you to assure us that we shall never be disturbed, though differing from that of your other subjects, be a reason, (at least in Your Province of Quebec) for excluding so considerable a number of Your submissive and faithful Children from participation in the favours of the best of Kings, of the tenderest of fathers? No Sire, prejudice has never reached Your Throne you love equally and without distinction all your faithful subjects. Your Canadians will always have for your august person the most perfect love, the greatest submission. It is from these claims Sire, that they expect from Your Majesty the same benevolence the same protection which you grant to all your subjects. Having been already informed, Sire by general Guy Carleton the governor of your Province of Your favourable intentions with regard to us, it is to this worthy representative of Your Majesty, who perfectly comprehends the Condition of this Colony and the customs of the people, that we confide our most humble supplications to be conveyed to the foot of Your Throne. The Report Sire, that the generous, wise and disinterested Governor will make to you, both of our hardships, which he has softened as much as lay in his power, and of our submission and affectionate conduct towards the government will we dare to hope, finish what your Royal and paternal heart has already begun. Restored to our customs and usages administered according to the forms with which we are familiar every indivdual will know the extent of his rights & the way to defend himself without being obliged to spend more than the value of his property to maintain himself in his possessions. Thus rendered able to serve our King and our country in every situation we shall no longer groan under this state of humiliation, which, so to speak, makes life unbearable to us, and seems to have made of us a reprobate nation. Overwhelmed, Sire, with your gifts and your favours, penetrated with love and gratitude, we will make known to our children the benefits for which we are indebted to your Majesty, and they will join with us in |