Kaskaskia fut donc la première capitale de l’Illinois

122 LES AXADIEXS AEX ILLINOIS AU XYIIle SIECLE

majorité des Américains des deux endroits se dit prête à entrer sous la juridiction de Cahokia, ce qui fut accepté. On élit donc un juge et un officier 'de milice dans chacune de ces localités, agrandissant ainsi la sphère d’action de Cahokia aux dépens de Kaskaskia — et ceci alla plus loin parce que les Américains de ce dernier village regardèrent bientôt la cour de Cahokia comme le siège de la vraie autorité.

N’est-il pas singulier de voir cette république minuscule passer par de si nombreux et de si pénibles événements alors qu’elle se trouvait formée à peu près malgré elle-même et demandait à cor et à cri d’être rangée sous un pavillon quelconque — français, anglais ou américain — dans l’espoir de jouir de la paix. Hélas ! quand vint le jour de la délivrance, il éclaira le triomphe des usurpateurs et mit fin à cette Arcadie de 1760 dont nous avons retracé les transformations.

En même temps que le Congrès passait la loi des territoires (1788) le général Saint-Clair avait été nommé gouverneur. Il n’arriva que le 5 mars 1790. Le régime qu’il apportait modifia davantage l’ancien état des choses. Les Canadiens émigrèrent plus que jamais aux Espagnols. Le livre s’arrête ici (7).

Il y aurait un article à faire sur les 300 pages de textes français que M. Alvord a insérées dans son oeuvre pour nous mettre à même de suivre la vie privée de la population. Ce sont, la plupart, des actes de la cour de justice. Une étude attentive en tirerait mille détails dont notre analyse n’a pu

7. Après avoir été regardé comme partie de la Virginie, l’Illinois, en 1787, fut compris dans les territoires du Nord- Ouest, et, en 1809, il devint le “territoire de l’Illinois”, .puis fut admis dans l’Union le 3 décembre, 1818. La présente constitution de l’Illinois a été ratifiée le 2 juillet, 1870.

LES CANADIENS AUX ILLINOIS AU NVIIIe SIECLE 123

donner qu’une idée imparfaite. J’y ai vu clairement le trafic des fourrures comme base de la colonie. Le système français n’allait pas plus loin. Au Canada et aux Illinois, l”agriculture se réduisait au jardinage avec un peu de blé, de maïs, d’avoine pour les besoins de la maison. Tout partait du commerce des peaux et tout y retournait. Il s’en suit que les habitants vivaient d’une seule et unique ressource que des étrangers adroits, sans scrupule, leur enlevaient miette à miette. Ajoutez à cette pénurie les déprédations des troupes, des nouveaux colons et des Sauvages — c’est plus qu’il n’en fallait pour anéantir unie colonie de mille à douze cents âmes, en l’obligeant à se disperser pour trouver sa subsistance ailleurs.

Cette page d’histoire nous était inconnue. Elle ressemble à 'ce qui s’est passé dans l’Ouest, pendant et après la révolution américaine, mais elle est plus complète, en ce sens que les incidents s’y entassent comme dans une tragédie, où l’auteur concentre des scènes prises là distance les unes des autres et en forme un ensemble typique sur lequel nos regards s’arrêtent forcément.

FIRST PAKLIAMENT OF UPPER CANADA

FIRST PAR TT A MENT OF UPPER CANADA (1

The Quebec A et passed by the British iparliament in 1774, came into force in May lst, 1775. Under its provisions, the Province of Quebec extended to the Ohio and the Mississipi. The reaisons for not calling an aæembly elected by the people are not stated in the Act. A Legislative Council only was provided. Its members were to be appointed by the Crown from persons résident in the province. In number it was not to exceed twenty-three nor to be less than seventeen. Its powers of législation were limited. To defray the expense of governing the eolony, duties were imposed upon spirits and molasses imported into the province. License fees were also collected from persons keeping taverns and houses of public entertainment. No ordinance of the council touching religion was to be valid until assented to in England.

Owing to the invasion of the province by the Americans, it was not until the spring of 1777 that the council was able to proceed to the regular despatch of business. It has been truly said that it was composed of officiais, seigneurs and the leading traders, and that the interests of other classes of the population were ignored. Upon the return of peace in 1783, the internai affairs of the province began to attract more attention, and a movement for a change in the constitution soon sprang up. Pétitions were sent across the Atlantic, eome for and some against such reorganization. By that time a large addition was made to the population of Canada by the influx of Loyalists from the revolted colonies to the

(1) Written in 1904 but unpublished.

FIRST PAELIAMENT OF UPPER CANADA

south. The new settlers were in favour of a more popular form of government than that afforded by a Crown-appointed council. In the autumn of 1786, Carleton ( now Lord Dorchester) assumed for a second finie the position of Governor with instruction to report fully on the state of the province and to that end committees of inquiring were appointed.

At lengtli, on the 4th Mardi 1791, the King called attention to the state of Canada and the neeessity of a new constitution for that colony. A few days afterwards, Pitt laid before the House a bill providing for a Legislative Assembly and he did his best to impress the members with the idea that it was an assimilation to the constitution of Great Britain, at least as near possible. The fact of granting an Elective Assembly (2) to a colony was in itsedf an uncommon concession, although Uova Scotia had enjoyed that blessing since 1758. The independence of the United States, our close neighbour, must hâve had something to do with the favor bestowed upon us.

By the Act of 1791 the council was dissolved and a iparliament authorized for each of two provinces called Upper and Lower Canada. The new administration consisted of the Crown represented by a governor, an appointed legislative council, and an élective legislative assembly — with power to pass laws “for the peace, welfare, and good government” of each province.

The Crown would of course assent or not assent to ail acts of the provincial législature. The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was to consist of not less than seven members, each appointed by the Crown and to hold their seats

2. Snch lassemblies existed in Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, prior to the révolution.

FIRST PARLIAMEiNT OF UPPER CANADA

for life. The Act indeed provided for the création of hereditary titles in Canada, to which the right to a seat in the Legislative Coumcil should be annexed, but this clause was allowed to remain a dead letter. In addition to the Legislative Council there was in each province an Executive Council to ad vise the govcrnor in the conduct of public affairs. The Legislative Assembly of Ilpper Canada was to consist of not' less than sixteen members. The électoral franchise was what was known in England as the forty shilling freehold for counties and the £5 freehold and £10 freehold for towns. Roughlv speaking, these figures had reference to the annual rental or income of the property in respect of which the right to vote was c'iaimed. No member of the Legislative Council and no clergyman was to be eligible to a seat in the assembly. The oaths required, as well from voters as from members in the council and assembly, eontained nothing in the nature of a religious test to debar any citizen from voting at an élection or from being elected.

These provincial legislative bodies were to meet at least once a year. Their legislative power over certain matters was restricted, not by way of absolute prohibition, but by requiring certain formalities to be observed. The granting of Crown lands was also restricted as these were relied on to provide a revenue, and in the interest of the Crown their too rapid sale was not eonsidered désirable. The greater part indeed of ail the revenues of the provinces continued to be oollected and spent by the officiais, under Aots of the British parliament, so that for many years the assemblies were able to exercise very little control over them — a defect in the System of colonial government which was remedied only after a long struggle.

Provision was made for the setting apart of a certain

FIRST PARLIAMENT OF UPPER CANADA

portion of the Crown lands for the support of a protestant clergy. Ont of this enactment grew, about thirty years later, the celebrated Clergy Reserve question, which for many years created intense political excitement. It was not finally set at rest until the year 1854 when the Canadian parliament ruade provision for the sale of the reserves, and, after setting aside a fund for those clergynien who had acquired vasted interests in the income arising from them, the balance was divided arnong the municipalities in proportion to population.

The charter of 1791 had many imperfections — for instance the whole patronage was in the hands of the governor (3) he had also the absolute control of ail the monies ; there was no such person as a minister, couneillor or adviser to the Crown responsible to the Legislative Assembly, but in that House the people could at last express an opinion, expose the abuses of the administration and ask for reforms. It may not be useless here to examine the relative value of terras and expressions already embodied in this paper and which are the key note, so to say, of the whole bill referred to.

1. — The Executive C'ouncil, appointed by the Crown eonsequently choosen amongst the favorites, the partisans and offiee-hdlders. It is now more than fifty years since this Council was transformed into a Ministry or Cabinet whose members are selected by the législature and made responsible to the people.

2. — The Legislative Council, appointed by the Crown. This corresponds to our Senate or Upper House. ISTow a days, the sélection is made by the Cabinet and appointment is in the name of the Crown. The Province of Ontario has never had a Upper House since Confédération.