CHRONICLES OF CANADA: 
 
 BEING 
 
 A RECORD 
 
 OF 
 
 ROBERT OOlJRLAY, Es4|. 
 
 NOW 
 
 ROBERT FLEMING GOURLAY, 
 
 
 THE BANISHED BRITON.’’ 
 
 "man is a REcoRomo animal.” 
 
 vVo. I. 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 THE CONVENTION AND GAGGING LAW, 
 
 1818 . 
 
 MR. GOURLAY’S ARREST AND TRIAL, 
 
 &C. &C. &C. 
 
 PRINTED AND SOLD 
 
 AT THE ^ 
 
 "JOURNAL” OFFICE, ST. CATHARINES: 
 
 SOLD, ALSO, BY 
 
 CARTER & BENTLEY, KINGSTON. 
 1842. 
 
(HRONK’LEii OP CANADA. 
 
 1818 . 
 
 I^riiiciplcs and Procccdiii;;!ii of the Ill- 
 habitants of the I>istriet of ]Via;;|^ara, 
 for addressin^if his Royal llig^hness 
 the Prince Regent, respecting claims 
 of Sufferers in War, l^aiids to mili¬ 
 tiamen, and the general benefit of 
 Upper Canada.— Printed at the ‘‘Niagar.! 
 Spectator” Office—1818.—Price, one shilling, c’y. 
 
 TO THE niLlBITANTS OF UPPER CANADA. 
 
 St. Catharines, District of Niagara, 5/A Matj, 1818. 
 i RIENDS AND FeLLOW SuBJEOTS ! 
 
 WE lay before you the Principles 
 and Proceedings of the People of this 
 District, and, example being better 
 than precept, ice have note only ear¬ 
 nestly to entreat you to join in the 
 cause. You will here find that we 
 have been opposed, but opposition has 
 strengthened us. It woidd sicell too 
 much this little Publication to give a 
 list of Subscribers; but they will be 
 found, week after week, in the Niaga¬ 
 ra Spectator, as room ivill admit .— 
 They already amount to upwards of 
 nine hundred, and are daily increas¬ 
 ing. Many have waited for the Ad¬ 
 dress, which IS only this day prepa¬ 
 red, and icill be found below. 
 
 ROH^T iuMILlWX l Representa- 
 HM. ROBERTSO.X { lives for the 
 CYRUS SU.MA'-ER, ^ District of 
 JOmV CLJIRK, j Xitigara. 
 
 A true copy, WM. J. KERR, Secretary. 
 
 To the licsiticiit Land Owners of Upper faiiada. 
 
 ATiagara, Ajrril ^nd, 1818. 
 
 Gentlemen —Your Parliament is broken up_a 
 
 second time broken up, from employment of the 
 most vital import to the honour and well being of 
 the province!!—Good God ! what is to be the end 
 of all this? 
 
 For my own part, gentlemen, I had little hope 
 of satisfaction from the sitting of Parliament, after 
 perusing the Administrator’s speech from the 
 throne ; and this little was entirely extinguished 
 with the disgusting reply made to that speech, by 
 your representatives. That a man who had spent 
 the best part of his life in Upper Canada—whose 
 
 every interest and affection rested here, should 
 even readii speech, not only containing mean sen¬ 
 timents, but notifying a measure, provoking in the 
 extreme to the feelings of a large body of his suf¬ 
 fering countrymen, was indeed heart-sickening; 
 
 yet this was not all : What could we expect_ 
 
 what sensation could sw’ell in our breasts, when 
 we found men, employed and paid by these very 
 sufferers, to guide their affairs and watch over 
 their interests, bowing down to kiss the rod of af¬ 
 fliction, and in return for a most insulting offer, 
 granting a receipt in full for demands, equally just 
 and w'ell authenticated? 
 
 Gracious Heaven ! Did w^e, the offspring of early 
 
 civilization—the first hope of genuine liberty_the 
 
 favoured wards of Divine revelation, come to this 
 new world, only to witness the degradation of our 
 kind, and be humbled beneath the rude savage w’ho 
 ranges the desert woods? Surely, British blood, 
 w’hen it has ebbed to its lowest mark, will learn to 
 flow again, and yet sustain on its rising tide, that 
 generous—that noble—that manly spirit which first 
 called forth applause from the admiring world. 
 
 It has been my fate to rest here nearly two 
 months, viewing at a distance, the scene of folly 
 and confusion—by turns serious and by turns jocu¬ 
 lar, that the serious might not sink into the melan¬ 
 choly. I have advised—I have in duty offered ser¬ 
 vices, but in vain : on went the sport, till yester¬ 
 day, when the cannon announced to us that the 
 play was over ; and now we have the second speech 
 of the Administrator, wffio has appropriately sunk 
 down from the throne to the chair! 
 
 Gentlemen, the constitution of this province is 
 in danger, and all the blessings of social compact 
 are running to waste. For three years the laws 
 have been thwarted, and set aside by Executive 
 power: for three sessions have your Legislators 
 sat in Assembly, and given sanction to the mon¬ 
 strous—the hideous abuse. A worthy catastro¬ 
 phe has closed this farce of Government; your 
 Commons and your Peers have quarrelled, and the 
 latter would assert, that the constitutional charter 
 of Canada may be trifled with. What is to be 
 done ? Do you expect any thing from a new Go- 
 vernour ?—you will be disappointed. Do you ex¬ 
 pect any thing from a new set of representatives ? 
 
 —here again you will be deceived. Your mem¬ 
 bers of Assembly are now at home : compare their 
 characters with those around them, and you will 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 
 find them equally honest—equally wise—equally 
 independent. Now, that they are returned to so¬ 
 ciety, as private individuals, I should be the very 
 last man to call in question their worth or their 
 probity: they are probably every way above par. 
 It is not the men, it is the system, which blasts eve¬ 
 ry hope of g^ood; and, till the system is overturned, 
 it is vain to expect any thing- of value from change 
 of representatives, or Governours. 
 
 It has been the cant of time immemorial, to make 
 mystery of the art of Government. The folly of 
 the million, and the cunning of the few in power, 
 have equally strengthened the reigning belief; but 
 it is false, deceitful and ruinous. The people of 
 every nation may, at any time, put down either 
 domestick tyranny, or abuse—they may, at any 
 time, lay a simple foundation for publick prosperi¬ 
 ty ; they have only to be honest, and, in their ho¬ 
 nesty, bold. 
 
 In my last address to you, I said that the British 
 constitution was ‘‘that beautiful contrivance by 
 which the people, when perfectly virtuous, shall 
 become all powerful.” Did you mark these words ? 
 —did you weigh them?—they are as important as 
 they are true. We, of all men, have least to op¬ 
 pose us in correcting the errours of our constitu 
 tion. The British constitution has provided for its 
 own improvement, in peace and quietness; it has 
 given us the right of petitioning the Prince or 
 Parliament; and this exercised in aproper manner, 
 is competent to satisfy every virtuous desire. 
 
 My present purpose is not to dwell on theory ; 
 but to recommend and set example in the practice 
 of using this glorious privilege. As individuals, 
 we have a right to petition the Prince or Parlia¬ 
 ment of Britain; and we have a right to meet for 
 this purpose, in collective bodies. My proposal 
 now is, that a meeting be forthwith held, in each 
 organized township throughout the province. I 
 shall take upon me to name the day for the meet¬ 
 ing of the people of this township of Niagara, and 
 say, that on Monday next, the 13th inst., I shall 
 be ready by 12 o’clock, noon, at Mr. James Rogers’ 
 Coffee-House, to proceed to business, with who¬ 
 ever is inclined to join me. The people of each 
 township should, I conceive, at meeting, choose a 
 representative and clerk. The representatives 
 should assemble from the several townships, with¬ 
 in each district, on an appointed day, to draw up a 
 petition to the Prince Regent; and which could, 
 soon afier, be got signed by every well wisher to 
 the cause. 
 
 The district meetings should, without delay, 
 hold conference by representatives, each respec¬ 
 tively choosing one, to meet in a provincial con¬ 
 vention, and who should arrange the whole busi¬ 
 ness-dispatch Commissioners to England, with 
 the petitions, and hold correspondence with them. 
 
 as well as with the Supreme Government. Two 
 or three Commissioners would suffice; and the 
 necessary cost of carrying the whole ably and re¬ 
 spectably into effect, would require but a triflintr 
 contribution from each petitioner. It is not going 
 out of bounds to reckon on ten thousand petition¬ 
 ers ; and a dollar from each, would make up a sum 
 adequate for every charge. I should recommend 
 the subscriptions and payments to commence at 
 the first township meetings—the money to be paid 
 to the clerks, who should keep in hand one-seventh, 
 for local and incidental disbursements, and pay 
 over the remainder to a Treasurer, to be appointed 
 in each district, by the representatives, at their 
 first meeting. Beyond making choice of represen¬ 
 tatives and clerks, the less that is done at town¬ 
 ship meetings the better: debate, of all things, 
 should be avoided. The clerks should minute 
 transactions, and keep a list of subscribers, which 
 should immediately be published in the nearest 
 newspaper within the province, and week after 
 week, in the same manner should be reported, ad¬ 
 ditions. The publick would thus, at once, see 
 the strength and growth of the cause, as well as 
 have vouchers for the payment of cash. Every 
 transaction should be plain, downright, and open 
 to view or inspection—every principle should be 
 declared—every proceeding be made known. 
 
 The simplicity of all this and the case with which 
 it may be accomplished, is obvious : to go into 
 more minute detail, at present, would be wasting 
 time. No man, by joining the cause, can lose 
 more than a dollar; and no responsibility what¬ 
 ever is incurred. As I take upon me to name the 
 day of meeting for this township of Niagara, so 
 that meeting may appoint days for the meetings of 
 other townships, and for the district meeting; see¬ 
 ing that it can be matter of no consequence who set¬ 
 tles such points, provided the business thereby, has 
 a fair chance of commencement, and that the whole 
 system of petitioning may proceed without doubt 
 or delay. No man, upon such solemn occasion, 
 should say, “ I am greater than another, and will 
 not be seen acting with him no one should say, 
 
 ‘I am less, and therefore presume not to set my¬ 
 self forward.” On such an occasion, and under 
 such circumstances as the present, every party, 
 and every personal prejudice, should be put down; 
 every eye should be resolutely bent on the one 
 thing needful—a radical change of system in the 
 government of Upper Canada. 
 
 I address myself particularly to Landowners, be¬ 
 cause their interests are most deeply involved; 
 but every man resident in Canada—every man who 
 is a lover of peace—who desires to see this coun¬ 
 try independent of the United States—who de¬ 
 sires to see a worthy connexion maintained be¬ 
 tween this province and Britain—every man, in 
 
CHRONICLES OP CANADA. 
 
 short, who has a spark of sincerity or patriotism 
 in his soul, has now sufficient cause to bestir him¬ 
 self. 
 
 There was a time when Israel was famished 
 with intense drought. Day after day, and week 
 after week, the uncovered sun rose, only to fright¬ 
 en the nation, and open more wide the yawning 
 fissures of the scorched earth :—there was yet, 
 however, faith in Israel; and the faith of a few,' 
 brought, at last, salvation to the expiring multi¬ 
 tude. Let not the ancient record be lost to these 
 modern days ; let not the signs and figures of the 
 material world be thrown aside, as vain emblems, 
 illustrations, and manifestations of the will, the 
 power and the goodness of God. He never deserts 
 his creatures while they are true to themselves, 
 and faithful to him, w'hile they honourably put to 
 use the Divine gifts of rationality. The course to 
 be pursued, by the people of this province, at the 
 present juncture, is so clear, that he who runs 
 may read : they have only to put trust in the suc¬ 
 cess of their own virtuous endeavours ; and suc¬ 
 cess will as surely follow as day succeeds to night. 
 Yes, worthy inhabitants of this township of Nia¬ 
 gara, you may begin the necessary work with con¬ 
 fidence. The little cloud which rose from the ho¬ 
 rizon, at first no bigger than a man’s hand, gradu- 
 ually expanded—mantled over the relentless face 
 of a burning sky, and at last showered dowm re¬ 
 freshment on a thirsty land. 
 
 The good which may result not only to this 
 province, but to the general cause of truth, should 
 these proposals be cheerfully and alertly adopted, 
 surpasses all calculation. It would be needless 
 for me now to descant on the subject. If there is 
 really no publick spirit in the country, I have al¬ 
 ready thrown away too much of my time ; if there 
 IS, let it now be shown; for never was occasion 
 more urgent. If the people of Canada do not now 
 rouse themselves, they may indeed have plenty 
 whereon to exist; but to that -righteousness 
 which exalteth a nation,” they will have no claim. 
 The farmer may plod over his fields—the mer¬ 
 chant may sit drowsy and dull,’ in his store ; but the 
 life, the vigour, the felicities of a prosperous and 
 happy people, will not be seen in the land ; the su¬ 
 periority of publick management in the United 
 States, will bother all hope of competition : Ame¬ 
 rica will flourish, while Canada sinks into compa¬ 
 rative decay ; and another war will not only bring 
 with it waste and destruction, but ignominious de*^ 
 feat. 
 
 In the scheme proposed, I will accept of no ap¬ 
 pointment ; but persons acting in it shall have my 
 utmost assistance, and I shall make clear to them 
 every course to be pursued. As soon as matters 
 come to a head, all information collected by me, 
 shall be at the disposal of the Commissioners ; and 
 
 even better consequences may be expected from 
 this popular movement, than any that could have 
 followed from the Parliamentary inquiry, had’that 
 been allowed to proceed. It will shew, that 
 though the'rights of Parliament may be trifled 
 with, those of the people of Upper Canada are not 
 so easily to be set at defiance. 
 
 The Assembly of the lower province, is to peti¬ 
 tion the British Parliament, as to their trade : 
 your representatives are to petition the Regent, 
 as to their privileges : when I found my petition 
 set aside and despised, at York, I dispatched one 
 immediately, to be presented to the House of Com¬ 
 mons, in England, to call attention there, to Cana¬ 
 dian affairs. All this will go for little, if some- 
 thing else is not done. You have read in the 
 newspapers, of my scheme having been discounte¬ 
 nanced by Ministers at home: you have read of 
 speculations upon making the best bargain with 
 the United States, for these provinces. I know 
 whence all this proceeds : I know what would 
 open the eyes of the people and government at 
 home, to the true value of the Canadas, and put 
 an end to such unnatural—such disgusting sur¬ 
 mises ; and all this I shall be happy to explain, as 
 soon as explanation can be useful. One thing I 
 am very sure, of, that if the people of Canada will 
 only do their duty, as honest men, and as brothers, 
 in unity, not only every just claim may be paid by 
 next Christmas, but a foundation may be laid for 
 this province becoming speedily the most flourish¬ 
 ing and secure spot on the habitable globe. 
 
 ROBERT GOURLAY. 
 
 TOWNSHIP MEETING. 
 
 Nwgara, April 13, 1818-Which day a numerous 
 meeting of the inhabitants of the township of Niagara, 
 
 DAVID SECOrm r 
 
 UAVID SECOllD, Esq. M. P. being called to the 
 ?, of Gourlay, to the Resident 
 Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated April 2d 1818 
 was read over, and its whole tenour and sentiments 
 unanimously approved of. In conformity to the re- 
 commendations therein contained, the meeting procee- 
 ^d to elect a representative and clerk, when Roicit 
 HamiUon, of Queenston, Esquire, was appointed lo 
 fill the former situation, and Mm Ross, of Niagara, Es- 
 ^ure the latter. A committee, also, was a^ppointd 
 “ir ‘meeting, viz •—Timothy 
 
 a Of‘•'■o Pro«0"‘ month, was named as 
 
 fn iK fof t'm meetings of other townships with- 
 
 m the district of Niagara, and Monday 27th, for the 
 meeting of the representatives from the various town- 
 l>? held at Shipman’s tavern, St. Catharines ; 
 the committee duly to advertise the same, and take 
 
 * J ^ *®'" “ppear requisite, for fur- 
 tiienng the good cause. 
 
 PL*^**® meeting were then unanimously 
 voted to David Secord. Esq. for his publick spirit iu 
 coming forvyard, on this occasion, and liberally fulfil¬ 
 ling the duties of the chair. 
 
 DAVID SECORD, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy, John Ro.ss, Clerk. 
 
4 
 
 CHROx\ICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 TO THE PUBTACK, 
 
 It having been stated to me, by some of my 
 friends, that the publick mind was impressed with 
 the idea of my having participated in, and sanction¬ 
 ed, the recent improper and unwarrantable publi¬ 
 cations of Mr. Robert Gourlay, I conceive it a du¬ 
 ty which I owe to the Government, to the province, 
 and to myself, to declare, that, beyond publishing 
 u statistical report of this province, he had neither 
 my approbation nor my countenance. 
 
 In making this declaration, I trust that the tcn- 
 our of my life justifies my asserting, that factious 
 discontent never originated in my breast. Having 
 said this much, in vindication of my own senti¬ 
 ments, I shall, in order to prevent errour in, and 
 rescue from distress the heedless proselytes of Mr. 
 Gourlay’s “ one thing needful—viz : a radical 
 change of system in the government of Upper Ca¬ 
 nada,” transcribe for their information, an extract 
 from the common law of the British empire, which 
 bears on the point of unlawful meetings or conven¬ 
 tions, viz: 
 
 ** The constitution of Great Britain having pla¬ 
 ced the representation of the nation, and the ex¬ 
 pression of the national will, in the Parliament, no 
 other meeting or convention, even of every indi¬ 
 vidual in the kingdom, would be a competent or¬ 
 gan to express that will; and meetings of such a 
 nature, tending merely to sedition, and to delude 
 the people into an imaginary assertion of rights, 
 which they had before delegated to their represen¬ 
 tatives in Parliament, could only tend to introduce 
 anarchy and confusion, and to overturn every set¬ 
 tled principle of government.” 
 
 An act of Parliament was passed in Ireland, in 
 the year 1793, to prevent any such meetings or con¬ 
 ventions ; and a few ignorant individuals, who, in 
 the same year, had dared to assemble under that 
 title, in Scotland, were quickly dispersed, and their 
 leaders convicted of seditious practices ; for which 
 they were sentenced to transportation. 
 
 I shall conclude with recommending to all, to 
 weigh well how they attend to visionary enthusi¬ 
 asts. THOMAS CLARK. 
 
 JViagaj'a, April 18, 1818. 
 
 PUBLICK JVOTICE. 
 
 In consequence of a handbill having this day ap¬ 
 peared, signed by-the Honourable Thomas Clark, 
 of the Legislative Council, in which an attempt is 
 made to stigmatize the principles adopted by the 
 Niagara meeting, the committee, appointed by that 
 meeting, recommend the people of other town¬ 
 ships, (where any doubt may exist, inconsequence 
 of Mr. Clark’s handbill,) to postpone the election 
 of their representatives, until a future day of meet¬ 
 ing is advertised. 
 
 Great as the necessity is, for an instant appeal 
 being made to the Supreme Government, regard¬ 
 ing the state of Upper Canada, the committee 
 would by no means press any measure until its le¬ 
 gality is proved, and its propriety fairly established, 
 in the publick mind. They pledge themselves to 
 shew, in a few days, that they are not only right 
 in what they have done, but that the Hon. Thom¬ 
 as Clark is grossly mistaken. 
 
 (Signed for the Committee,) 
 
 ROBERT HAMILTON. 
 Niagara, April 18, 1818. 
 
 Till there is time for further proof, the following 
 will testify the strange inconsistency of Mr. Clark. 
 
 To Clerk of Township MceUng^ April, 1818, Niagara. 
 
 Qucenston, i2th April, 1818. 
 
 Sir —You will herewith receive two dollars—one of 
 which is the subscription of tlie Hon. Tliomas Clark, 
 for the purpose of defraying the expenses of carrying a 
 petition to the Prince Regent, relative to the situation 
 of this province ; the other dollar for the same pur¬ 
 pose, from your most obedient humble serv^. 
 
 (Signed) W. G. HEPBURNE. 
 
 We certify, that we saw Mr. Clark give the dollar 
 above mentioned, to Mr. Hepburne, for the purpose 
 above also specified. 
 
 (Signed) 
 
 THOS. DICKSON, 
 .lAMES KERBY. 
 
 Grantham, April 20, 1818. 
 
 This day, a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of 
 the township of Grantham, having been held at the 
 house of Paul Shipman, and Geo. Adams, Esq. being 
 called to the chair, spoke in substance as follow^ :— 
 
 ‘‘Gentlemen —I am happy to see so many of you 
 assemble here this day, on the present occasion. You 
 have heard the address of Mr. Robert Gourlay read : 
 you have likewise heard the address of the Hon. Tho¬ 
 mas Clark ; and as it lias been your unanimous vote, 
 that I should be called to the chair, I beg to make a few 
 remarks on the business before us. I assure you, gen¬ 
 tlemen, if there was the least appearance in any one 
 sentence of Mr. Gourlay’s address tending to sedition, 
 
 I would be the last person to come forward to support 
 it. You observe, gentlemen, that in the address of the 
 Hon. Thomas Clark, to the publick, he endeavours to 
 imj#ess on your minds, that our meeting together 
 tends to sedition ; but allow me to say, it is an errone¬ 
 ous opinion. 
 
 I have been acquainted with you twenty-four years, 
 and so has that hon. gentleman, particularly in the late 
 war with the United States of America, when you all 
 went forward and exposed your lives and property in 
 defence of your King and country. Gentlemen, your 
 loyalty is not, and cannot be shaken by the address of 
 Mr. Gourlay, or any other individual—neitlier ought 
 you to be intimidated by the address of the Hon. Tho¬ 
 mas Clark, wherein he states, it was necessary for the 
 Parliament to suppress seditious meetings. But the hon. 
 gentleman should recollect, that the meetings alluded 
 to were entirely of a different nature from ours — at a 
 time when the greatest part of Ireland was in a state 
 of open rebellion, and when preparations for the same 
 were going on in Scotland. Tliis, gentlemen, is not 
 the case here, and God forbid it ever should be ; for-I 
 am certain there is not now, a more loyal people in the 
 British dominions, than you in tlie township of Grant¬ 
 ham. It would be doing Col. Clark the greatest in¬ 
 justice, were you not to hold him in the highest esteem 
 and hand his name down to posterity, for his active 
 and zealous conduct, in frequently exposing his life and 
 fortune in defence of the province. But, gentlemen, 
 you have all done the same, and I do not think he has 
 any more reason to doubt your loyalty, than you have 
 his. I conceive, gentlemen, our object for meeting 
 here to-day, is to endeavour, peaceably and quietly to 
 petition the Prince and Parliament of our mother coun¬ 
 try, and let them know the state of the province. 
 You have suffered privations, and have lost property, 
 during the late war, which we have a just claim to ask 
 for.” 
 
 The meeting then proceeded to electa representative 
 and clerk—when WILLIAM HAMILTON MER¬ 
 RITT, Esq. was appointed to fill the former station, and 
 George A. Ball, the latter. A committee was also 
 appointed, to forward the views of this meeting, viz: 
 
 — IVUliam Chisholm, Charles Jngei'sol, Robert Campbell, 
 Amos McKmnij and James Dedrick. 
 
 The thanks of the meeting were then voted to Mr. 
 Robert Gourl^, for the disinterested manner in which 
 he has come forward in endeavouring to promote the 
 prosperity of this province. 
 
CHRONICLES OP CANADA. 
 
 rhe tlmnks of the meeting were also voted to Geo. 
 Adams, Esq. for his spirited address on this occasion, 
 and his able and impartial conduct in the chair. 
 
 Geo. a. Ball, Ckrk, GEO. ADAMS, Chairman. 
 
 Stamfordj April 20/A, 1818. 
 At a numerous meeting of the inhabitants and land¬ 
 holders of the township of Stamford, held at the house 
 of A. Rorback, John Hardv, Esquire, being called to 
 the chair, it was unanimously agreed, that we petitioir 
 the Prince Regent, for the losses we sustained in the 
 late war, and such other grievances as we labour under. 
 
 The meeting proceeded to elect a representative and 
 clerk, when JOHN J. LEFFERTY was appointed to fill 
 Uie former situation, and IIi;gh M’Cmeve, the latter. 
 A committee also was appointed, to forward the views 
 r n • . r the meeting, \iz :—Frederkk Smith, John Howison, 
 
 Roasts were given, by the Chairman. Thompson and Abraham Bowman, 
 
 a meeting were then unanimously 
 
 voted to John Hardy, Esq. for his publick spirit, in co- 
 ming forward on this occasion, and fulfilling the duties 
 of the chair. , JOHN HARDY, C/ioirman. 
 
 A true copy. Hugh M'Clieve, Clerk. 
 
 ^Vhen the meeting had finished business, and were 
 about dispersing, Mr. Gourlay, who had been visiting 
 sorne townships, to advise delay till the aspersions cast 
 on his conduct, and the right of the subject to petition, 
 were proved to be unfounded, accidentally arrived ; 
 whereupon a dinner was ordered, and, Mr. G. being 
 invited to partake, a large party sat down and spent 
 the evening m the most convivial manner. 
 
 ‘''® province of Upper Canada.” 
 By William Merritt., Esq.—May every township 
 contribute its aid to the prosperity of the province.” 
 
 By Mr. G. Ball—May the navigable waters of the 
 province be speedily improved.” 
 
 By J. Clark, Esq.—May the adherents ofMr. Gour 
 
 I 1 -—^ irir. viour- 
 
 iay be ever encouraged in their virtuous proceedings.” 
 By Geo. Adams, Esq.—‘‘The Administrator.” 
 
 By Mr. Gourlay—“ May the representative of his 
 Majesty, in Upper Canada, ascend from the chair to 
 the throne. 
 
 Some of the company desiring an explanation of this 
 toast, Mr. G. rose and replied—That, as unworthy 
 views had been attributed to liim, and as such Meet¬ 
 ings as they had this day held—meetings for the pure 
 purpose of petitioning the Sovereign—^had been stig¬ 
 matised as illegal and seditions, he gave this toast as 
 the most loyal which he could possibly think of, for 
 the occasion. The Administrator having in his speech 
 to Farhament, expressed himself as addressing that bo- 
 dy ‘ from the chair,'* had virtually deprived the pro- 
 vince of the Royal presence, and let down the dignity 
 which It was his duty to maintain. This was a rnat- 
 ter of more consequence than might at first be suppo¬ 
 sed. On the part of the Ministers at home, there was 
 a glaring indifference to the concerns of these provin¬ 
 ces ; and when publick prints ventured to hint at the 
 bartering them away to the United States, for their 
 value in cash, it was high time for the people here to 
 support their own dignity, by marking every step to¬ 
 wards their degradation. True loyalty did not consist 
 in mere passive submission : it consisted in watching 
 over every part of the constitution, at once, with ieal- 
 ousy and aftection. 
 
 By G. A. Ball.—“May our representatives undergo 
 a reformation.” ® 
 
 By the Rev. Mr. Williams—“ May morality and reli¬ 
 gion increase, throughout the province, particularly in 
 t ie township of Grantham”—(by a wag, in addition,) 
 where there is so much room.” 
 
 By George Adams, Esq.—“ M.ay the united fner 
 mies of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and he- 
 dependancies, be drowned in this draught.”—(Cheers.) 
 
 Louth, April 20</i, 1818. 
 
 This day, a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of 
 the township of Louth, was held at the house of Rob- 
 ert Runchie, when the Address of Mr. Robert Gourlay 
 A® Owners of Upper Canada, dated 
 
 April 4(\, 1818, was read over ; also, an address to the 
 publick, signed by the Honourable Thomas Clark, and 
 a counter address to the publick, signed by Robert Ha- 
 milton, Esquire, representative for the township meet- 
 whole tenour and sentiments 
 of Mr. Gourlay’8 address was unanimously approved 
 of. In conformity to the recommendations therein 
 contained, the meeting proceeded to elect a represen¬ 
 tative and clerk, when JOHN CLARK, of Louth, Es¬ 
 quire, was appointed to fill the former situation, and 
 VViLLiAM J. Kerr, Esquire, the latter. 
 
 The thanks of the meeting were then unanimously 
 Gourlay, for his able assistance in 
 behalf of the province. By order, 
 
 (Signed) JOHN CLARK, Representative. 
 
 A true copy. William J. Kerr, 
 
 Gainsborough, April 20th, 1818. 
 
 At a meeting of the inhabitants of the township of 
 Gainsborough, held agreeably to the notice and recom¬ 
 mendation of the inhabitants of Niagara township, for 
 taking measures for petitioning the Prince Regent, re¬ 
 garding the state of the province— John I. Taylor 
 was called to the chair. Mr. Gourlay’s address, dated 
 the second day of April, 1818, was then read over, and 
 P^ciplcs approved of; whereupon JOHN KEN¬ 
 NEDY, Sen. was chosen representative, and George 
 bHiPMAN, clerk. A committee to forward the business 
 with^in the township, was then appointed, consisting 
 ot George Hensel, Charles Kennedy, nUliam Bits and 
 Bciiajah Uilliams. JOHN 1. TAYLOR, Chairman. 
 George Shipman, Clerk. 
 
 Bertie, April 20th, 1818. 
 
 A numerous meeting of the respectable inhabitants 
 ^ township, having been convened at the house 
 of Matthias Haun, Thomas Otway Page, Esq. being 
 called to the chair, the address of Mr. Gourlay, and 
 Ollier papers, to the Resident Land Owners of Upper 
 Canada, dated April 2d, 1818, were read over, and 
 their whole tenour and sentiments unanimously appro¬ 
 ved of. In conformity to the recommendations there¬ 
 in contained, the meeting proceeded to elect a repre¬ 
 sentative and clerk, when W M. POWELL, of Bertie, 
 E.squire, was appointed to fill the former situation, and 
 John Applegarth, of Bertie, the latter. 
 
 The th^ks of the meeting were then unanimously 
 voted to Thomas Ot. Page, Esq. for his publick spirit 
 m coming forward on this occasion, and liberally fulfil¬ 
 ling the duties of the chair. 
 
 THOMAS OTW AY PAGE, Chahman. 
 
 A true copy. J. Applegarth, Clerk. 
 
 At a second meeting of this township, it having been 
 reported that it was inconvenient for W^m. Powell 
 Esq. to attend to the duties of representative, it was 
 Ihen unanimously voted, that John Baxter, Esq. do 
 take upon him the duties of that office, provided Wm. 
 PowEL, Esq. do not attend to it. Having been found 
 necessary that a committee should be chosen, to for¬ 
 ward the views of the meeting, David Damewood, 
 C/mrles Hill and Henry Warren were elected to fill that 
 office. 
 
 The thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted 
 to Mr. Robert Gourlay, for his unparallelled generosity, 
 in assisting, us in the remotest part of the earth, by 
 presenting to us a method we are in the present un¬ 
 dertaking so glad to pursue. 
 
 HENRY WARREN, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy. J. Applegarth, Clerk. 
 
 Note, inserted in the Niagara Spectator, of April 23. 
 
 The Committee of JViagara meant to have obtain¬ 
 ed a Lawyers opinion, to lay before the publick, to 
 satisfy every one as to the right of British subjects to 
 meet for petitioning the Prince or Parliament; but 
 in the various toicnships, this right has been so spi- 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 ritedhj maintained, and every one u 
 
 on the sulject, that it would rather be thoiight an m- 
 
 stdt to lay before the publick any legal authority. 
 
 In many toumships, the business of choosing represen¬ 
 tatives and clerks, has been already done; but the 
 newspaper of to day, cannot gwe pu ici y o more 
 than three. Those townships which postponed their 
 business, on the suggestion of the committee, are now 
 requested to meet for choosing represen at,ves and 
 clerks, on Saturday second of May, 12 o clock, f no 
 other Xotice is sent round; and at all events, the re¬ 
 presentatives and clerks from the various ioimshjps 
 are requested to meet at Shipmans tavern, St. La- 
 tharines, on Monday 4th of May, 11 o clock Jl. M. 
 ^brins: with them their lists of subscribers, and the 
 contributions. A Treasurer will that day be chosen 
 
 _ and a petition be dratvn up to lay before the pub- 
 
 lick, for amendment or remark. 
 
 (For the Committee,) ROB'T H.dMILTOjV. 
 
 A U-ue copy. John Ross, Clerk. 
 
 As the publick throughout the province, cannot be 
 so well informed of all circumstances, as they are m 
 this district, the Committee give the following ex¬ 
 tract, [the whole is noiv re-printed,] front a tettei 
 written by Mr. Gourlay, which appeared in the .Ni¬ 
 agara Spectator of the 22d April, jn support of 
 their principles; and they doubt not but these, ivith 
 the sentiments expressed by individuals, at lownship 
 Meetings, will be quite sufficient to settle all question 
 on the subject, wherever any may be started. 
 
 To the worthy Inhabitants of the District of Niagara. 
 
 J\*iagara, April 21 sf, 1818. 
 
 Gentlemen— The above placards have already 
 spoken for themselves. It is now my duty not 
 only to defend my character as an individual, but 
 to maintain the grand constitutional right ot all 
 British subjects—the right of holding meetings 
 for petitioning the Prince or Parliament. 1 his 
 rierht a Legislative Councillor has dared to ques¬ 
 tion and traduce ; but woe to every attempt wliicli 
 would lessen the liberties of the people, and viti¬ 
 ate the oracles of truth. 
 
 Gentlemen-—Bol for the unnatural, the insidu- 
 ous, the infamous placard which is now placed be¬ 
 fore you, yesterday would have been a day of con¬ 
 cord and confidence : yesterday, the sun of regene¬ 
 ration would have risen to Upper Canada, without 
 a cloud ; but it will yet rise, and shine more bright, 
 triumphant over the murky clouds of the morning. 
 
 The history of Mr. Clark’s unhappy proceedings, 
 and the defence of my own conduct and principles, 
 shall follow, aRer I have first established the 
 weightier matter of the law—our undeniable and, 
 till now, unquestioned, right of petitioning, and of 
 holding publick meetings for doing so. The right 
 of pelUioning is one of the grand articles of the 
 Bill of Rights solemnly passed into law, when the 
 British people had driven one Sovereign from the 
 throne, and were about to establish in it another 
 more agreeable to their will. No act of Parlia¬ 
 ment is half so sacred as this—the second great 
 charter of British liberty. It emanated purely 
 from the people, uninfluenced by sovereign power, 
 or unswayed by domineering aristocracy ; and the 
 sera which gave it birth, stands emblazoned in his¬ 
 tory as our glorious Revolution. The Parliament 
 of Britain has never questioned this great right of 
 the people, and the people are in the constant ha¬ 
 bit of exercising their right. The meetings of last 
 
 year in England, at some of which £0,000 people 
 were collected together, were all held under this 
 grand constitutional privilege, and not a question 
 was made regarding their legality. The Parlia- - 
 ment of Britain never attempted to suppress even 
 the Spa-fields meetings, which excited in the minds 
 of some, the greatest alarm ; and I, 
 in the House of Commons when Lord Folkstone 
 presented a petition from one of these meetings, 
 on the evening of the very day on which it was 
 
 ^^What is all this which Mr. Clark has set before 
 the people of Upper Canada, as a bugbear to frigh¬ 
 ten them out of the exercise of their most sacred 
 rio-ht? What is this quotation from the statute 
 book? what are these stories to us, which con¬ 
 cern the Irish rebellion and the conviction of trai¬ 
 tors? Is it possible that Mr. Clark could serious¬ 
 ly believe that he could for any length of time im¬ 
 pose, even upon the ignorant, or appal the 
 with recitals of this nature ? Can any man read the 
 act of Parliament, which he has quoted, and not 
 perceive, that it has no eye whatever to peaceable 
 meetings. The act clearly specifies the sort of 
 meetings which it was framed to repress—meet¬ 
 ings ‘‘tending merely to sedition, and to delude 
 the people into an imaginary assertion of rights.’^ 
 In the name of God, I ask, where is the symptom 
 of sedition to be discovered in this province ? Un¬ 
 less from the mouth of the Hon. Thomas Clark, I 
 never heard a breath in Upper Canada which could, 
 by the remotest construction, be applied to any 
 thing of the kind. The pure and ardent loyalty 
 of the people here, has been one strong influence 
 with me in exerting myself towards improving the 
 connexion of Canada with the mother country; 
 and it excited in me peculiar feelings of disgust 
 when I read in the newspapers, that surmises were 
 on foot for bartering away such people, like slaves, 
 to the United States. If I am guilty of sedition, 
 why does not the Hon, Thomas Clark do his du¬ 
 ly and biing me to trial? Mr, Clark knew of the 
 Niagara meeting, and of my being present there, 
 yet he suffers me to go at large to advise and at¬ 
 tend other meetings-^nay, not only am I going at 
 large and doing all this, but I dare the highest 
 Magistrate in the province to lay hands upon me. 
 There is thus no alternative for Mr. Clark, but ei¬ 
 ther to do his duty, and arrest me, or to leave me 
 alone, and thereby satisfy the world that he has 
 been wofully imposing on the publick by assailing 
 my conduct and principles—wofully and wantonly 
 scandalizing the rights ot the Canadian people. 
 Doubting that the ignorant and timid might not be 
 sufliciently astounded with a quotation of law, Mr. 
 Clark seems to expect that my “ heedless prose¬ 
 lytes” will be certainly driven from their meetings, 
 and appalled, for ever, by a reference to an Irish 
 act of Parliament, and a hint, as to what befel the 
 ignorant in Scotland. In the year, 1793, every 
 b'ody know's, that rebellion was nearly bursting 
 out, both in Great Britain and Ireland ; and every 
 body knows that soon after this, it did break out 
 in the latter. I myself visited Ireland, in the midst 
 of its fiercest rebellion, when I was allowed to 
 land and pass along, only from being known to the 
 commander of the King’s troops, 1 had, thus, bet¬ 
 ter opportunities than Mr. Clark, of being acquain¬ 
 ted with the state of that country, and the neces¬ 
 sity for strong measures on the part of Gov¬ 
 ernment ; and I was still better informed than he 
 could possibly be, of the situation of things m 
 
7 
 
 CHRONICLES 
 
 ?5cotlan^. I attended the trial, in Edinburgh, of 
 one of the chief offenders, and remember well, on 
 what grounds he and others were transported. 
 They were charged with holding secret meetings, 
 with administering oaths of secrecy, and having 
 warlike arms in preparation for carrying their de¬ 
 signs violently into execution. Who 'would not 
 wish to see men convicted of such practices, sen¬ 
 tenced to transportation Have I done any thing 
 of this sort 1 have I held secret meetings ? have I 
 sworn any one to secrecy, or been an advocate for 
 oaths ? have I or my proselytes, any thing to do 
 with warlike arms ? Mercy'on us, for, by and by, 
 the Honourable Thomas Clark will accuse us of 
 sedition for eating our food, and of treason, for 
 meeting together, in church, to put up our prayers 
 to the Almighty ! 
 
 After the publick, to whom Mr. Clark’s placard 
 is dedicated, have been so grossly insulted by him, 
 
 I am persuaded it would be but further insult, 
 should I say another word on this part of the sub¬ 
 ject. I only wish that I could here stop and let 
 Mr, Clark rest in quiet, among ** visionary enthu¬ 
 siasts but my duty, both to myself and the pub- 
 lick, calls loudly for further explanation. 
 
 From the first paragraph of the placard, it would 
 seem as if I was dependant on Mr. Clark, and that, 
 without the approbation and countenance of this 
 very self important personage, I had a right to do 
 nothing in this world. I flatly deny that I am in 
 ariy way dependant upon him, or that, at any stage 
 of my statistical inquiries, I have been ruled by his 
 advice or authority. My first address, printed at 
 York, was never, till its publication, shewn to Mr. 
 Clark ; and with respect to my recent improper 
 and unwarrantable publication,” who could ever 
 suppose me under his patronage, who now does his 
 duty to the Government, the province and him¬ 
 self,” by protesting against them? The insinua¬ 
 tions of the placard, groundless as they may be, 
 are yet nothing to what Mr. Clark has uttered in 
 publick, regarding me. Yesterday, he attended 
 the meeting of his own township, and there, I am 
 sorry to say, disgraced himself, in a manner be¬ 
 yond all precedent. Mr. Clark stood forward at 
 the Stamford meeting, and declared that I was a 
 person wholly without means of subsistence—that 
 the dollar he gave Mr. Hepburne, was meant for 
 my private aid, as a poor man—that he had lent 
 me money, in England, which I had squandered— 
 that I had not a foot of land belonging to me, in 
 Upper Canada; and that my sole object in what 
 I was now about, was to get possession of the mo¬ 
 ney subscribed by petitioners. If a dozen honest 
 men had sworn that Mr. Clark was capable of such 
 declarations, I would not have believed them, be¬ 
 fore the absolute fact was proved ; and I trust that, 
 under circumstances, the publick will excuse my 
 stating the truth, as to my private affairs, which, 
 upon any ordinary occasion, would be quite imper¬ 
 tinent. 
 
 I became acquainted wnth Mr. Clark, for the first 
 time, when he was at home, during the war. He 
 then came to Wiltshire, and spent a few weeks at 
 my house. I am the oldest son of my father, w'ho, 
 at that time, was in possession of a landed estate, 
 in Scotland, worth, with its stock, upwards of 
 £130,000. Having, for some years, been involved 
 in a law suit, on a question which unluckily my 
 father had misconceived, he had withdrawn from me 
 his countenance, and I was left to the support of 
 other friends, in prosecuting my suit. My situa- 
 
 OF CANADA. 
 
 tion being known to Mr. Clark, he volunteered to 
 me a loan of£500. Little more than a year after 
 this, my father’s affairs became involved. Till the 
 age of seventy-five, he had carried on the most ex¬ 
 tensive agricultural operations of any man in the 
 kingdom ; and for integrity, as well as perfect 
 knowledge of business, ranked in the very highest 
 class. When the exposure of affairs took place, 
 not only my father and family were confounded 
 with the result, but the whole country was so. It 
 could be accounted for in no w’ay but from the na¬ 
 tural decay of age. My father had lost his memo¬ 
 ry, and for several years, had been the prey of all 
 who had the wickedness to impose upon him. With- 
 inTi month after this, seeing that I could no longer 
 expect to return to my native country, and keep 
 up the rank which I had, from my infancy, enjoy¬ 
 ed, I resolved on going abroad, and had my inten¬ 
 tion communicated to Mr. Clark. The fall of my 
 fortune, increased the rancour of the person with 
 whom I was at law. He would consent to no 
 terms of settlement, and I had to remain more than 
 a year fighting out the battle. My lawyers failed 
 to carry my cause before the Assizes. I instant¬ 
 ly published an address—had this address put into 
 the hands of most eminent counsel, in London, 
 with a suitable fee, and thus obtained a confession 
 that I was right. I then sued in Chancery, for a 
 new trial, and carried my point, though opposed 
 by five lawyers, who wasted several days in plea¬ 
 ding. My cause was a second time brought be¬ 
 fore a Jury, and then I was finally victorious, re¬ 
 covering what I pled for with interest, and the costs 
 of three suits. The moment all this was settled, I 
 made arrangements for the conduct of my farming 
 concerns, and came here to look out for future op¬ 
 erations ; and here I will come, with my family, 
 as soon as all is settled at home, which my friends 
 are now giving their aid to accomplish. Last Sep¬ 
 tember, I satisfied Mr. Clark that a fair settlement 
 of my forming concerns w’ould leave me a rever¬ 
 sion in capital, of several thousand pounds, after 
 paying my debts. My delayed departure from this 
 country, however, has greatly altered my hopes of 
 this ; hut, independent of my own personal capital, 
 there is a provision for my wife and children, of 
 £280 per annum, which my fate or conduct cannot 
 affect. So far from being reduced to have my 
 wants here supplied by Mr. Clark’s charity, he 
 knows well, that I have yet credit at home, as far 
 as travelling expenses require, and that my bill to 
 him, for £50 received last autumn, was duly hon¬ 
 oured. About two months ago, I wished to draw 
 for a larger sum ; not the slightest objection was 
 made to my credit, by Mr. Street, the partner of 
 Mr. Clark ; but, as he was not full of cash, he ask¬ 
 ed me to accept of a temporary supply, and it was 
 agreed to defer drawing on London, until I should 
 require an additional sum. In the township of 
 Dereham, I own 866 acres of land, which belonged 
 to my wife before her marriage with me; but 
 which she has since made over to me; and, how¬ 
 ever trifling this inay be as to value, it was a very 
 proper ground upon which to claim attention, in 
 the petition which I sent to York, to be presented 
 by Mr. Clark, to the Parliament then assembled ; 
 for, upon coming to the province, I found it great¬ 
 ly depreciated, or rather unsaleable. 
 
 That I wish to pocket the dollars subscribed by 
 the people of Canada, for the management of their 
 publick interests, is a worthy finish to Mr. Clark’s 
 declarations. I advised the people to pay this in- 
 
8 
 
 CHRONICLES 
 
 to the hands of Clerks and Treasurers chosen by 
 themselves; and I expressly stated, that I would 
 accept of no appointment. That I might receive 
 benefits from the success of the cause, is somewhat 
 encouraging : it may recompence me for the time 
 and money I have spent, and such benefit the pub- 
 lick of Canada have certainly no right to grudge ; 
 but it is as certain, that private emolument, nei¬ 
 ther first nor last, has been my spur in what I have 
 done. I never was covetous of wealth ; but i have 
 enjoyed the pleasure of thinking my efforts tend¬ 
 ed to the happiness of my fellow creatures; and 
 the hope that I may accomplish my purpose, of 
 making this province a safe and honourable retreat 
 for the poor of England, would sustain me through 
 a life time of persecution and scandal. From the 
 consideration of what is already said, the publick 
 will form some comparison between Mr. Clark and 
 me, as to “ unwarrantable publications but let 
 us get on to complete exposure, before the final 
 decision is given. 
 
 It will be remembered, that some weeks ago I 
 mentioned, that since I had addressed Mr. Clark, 
 as a publick character, at York, he had taken all 
 in good part, and written me several friendly let¬ 
 ters. It was so, and meeting together for the first 
 time, after his return from York, at Mr. Thomas 
 Dickson’s, on the lltii of this month, we shook 
 hands before several witnesses. The day piece- 
 ding, I had heard something of Mr. Clark’s doing 
 at York, which I thought too serious to pass with¬ 
 out notice, and I had then in my pocket a letter 
 calling upon him for explanation. Our accidental 
 meeting, and shaking hands, altered my intentions, 
 as to this, and I committed the letter to the flames, 
 that there should be no retrospect after the right 
 hand of fellowship had been stretched out. On 
 Saturday last, about two o’clock, I had occasion 
 to call at the Printing-Office, and found that Mr. 
 Clark had just sent in the manuscript of his pla¬ 
 card. Upon looking at it, I was cut to the heart. 
 
 I immediately went to Mr. Wm. Kerr, his broth¬ 
 er-in-law—told him what I had seen, and begged 
 of him logo with me to the Hon. Wm. Dickson’s, 
 w’here I thought Mr. Clark would be found. Thi¬ 
 ther we went, but Mr. Clark and Mr. Dickson had 
 gone to a meeting, at Alex. Rogers Hotel, and 
 there w’e found them on our return. I most ear¬ 
 nestly entreated Mr. Clark, on his own account, 
 to withdraw his publication, but in vain : both he 
 and Mr. Dickson were alike immovable; and I 
 found that the placard, which bears only the sig¬ 
 nature of one, was, in fact, the joint production of 
 these two honourable gentlemen. Mr. Dickson 
 had pruned Mr. Clark’s asperities, and had search¬ 
 ed out, from his law repository, the notable quota¬ 
 tion which now stands before us as a bugbear. 
 To conclude, I told the gentlemen, that if they 
 persisted in printing the placard, I should certain¬ 
 ly, in return, think myself bound by no delicacy of 
 exposure. Mr. Dickson declared, in that case, he 
 would never speak with me more—so the matter 
 is now at issue, and to determine it, I proceed with¬ 
 out scruple or dread. 
 
 The propriety and fitness of every human action 
 must depend on circumstances. What, in one 
 case wouW be very wrong, may, in another, be ne¬ 
 cessary and proper. My publications, for the last 
 two months, have roused the passions of many un¬ 
 reflecting people against me, and many have form¬ 
 ed judgments concerning them, altogether errone¬ 
 ous, owing to the partial views taken of the sub- 
 
 OF CANADA. 
 
 ject. I am not conscious of a word of mine being 
 out of joint. My first address was studiously la¬ 
 boured to please; yet we have seen the cohort of 
 Augusta, with a ;udge, a priest, and a scribe, as 
 leaders, come forvard in a formal charge against 
 it: not spurred or by hasty passion, but after the 
 mature cogitation of nearly four months. My se¬ 
 cond address was *f a very different nature. I did 
 not expect that it vas to gain at first, universal fa¬ 
 vour, though it hid at least one hearty admirer. 
 After carrying the first part of it to press, I called 
 on the Honourabh Wm. Dickson, and read the 
 manuscript, as faras it was then composed. Mr. 
 D. was so pleased with it, that he immediately 
 took me aside, aid desired my acceptance of a 
 deed for 500 acres of land; which I thanked him 
 for sincerely, but refused. 
 
 My after publicttions, week after week, sprung 
 out of accidents ofthe moment, and each was call¬ 
 ed for in its appropriate character and dress. The 
 letter to the Administrator, never would have had 
 existence, but for in accident of my not getting off* 
 the week before its appearance, along with the 
 mail carrier, to York; and the publication of Ma¬ 
 jor Leonard, whici came forth in the same paper, 
 called for my renaining here still another week. 
 Before this was pr nted, Mr. Clark’s refusal to pre¬ 
 sent my petition, came to hand, and in a few days 
 more, his advice, that I should retreat from my 
 post, by way of Jacket’s Harbour. In iny letter 
 to the ilon. Thonas Clark, there is a strange mix¬ 
 ture of the seriois and jocular. The last was 
 clearly to retain lim to me as a friend in private 
 life, while I lashel him for the neglect of publick 
 duties, and his falling away from a trust, whiclr 
 he had most strongly induced me to repose in him. 
 A refusal to preseit any petition, decently worded, 
 would be provokiig; but had I time to set forth 
 the disappointmert I experienced on this occasion, 
 the publick wouldrather wonder how I could joke 
 with Mr. Clark, than blame me for the exposure 
 of trifles, or the ise of any language of severity. 
 My whole mind hid been bent, for seven months, 
 on the consideratbn of the vast advantages which 
 might be gained iy a proper improvement of Up¬ 
 per Canada. Th) object of my first address had 
 been accomplishel so far, beyond my utmost ex¬ 
 pectation ; but rn^ experience in the province had 
 convinced me, tint I could not honestly use the 
 Township Repors, to draw people abroad, to a 
 country where givernment was so scandalously 
 administered. No one spoke more openly against 
 abuses, than Mr. Clark ; indeed, he asked me, one 
 day before goingto York, ‘‘if it would not justify 
 rebellion?” and Jllr. Dickson had, about the same 
 time, declared, at the mess, here, that if matters 
 were not ordered better, he would rather live under 
 the American than British Government, Though 
 it was not very decorous for a Legislative Coun¬ 
 cillor to utter such a speech, before British officers, 
 or any where elsj, I shall, before all the world, 
 back this sentiment:—certainly, if things are not 
 to be altered for the better, in Canada, the United 
 States would be amore desirable place of residence. 
 Although I am ofthis opinion, yet I would not, for 
 a moment, allow that Mr. Clark’s question, urrder 
 any circumstance?, could be answered in the affir¬ 
 mative, while the right of petitioning remains free 
 to our exercise. Nay, I say more, such a ques¬ 
 tion, even withoit an answer, stands up against 
 Mr. Clark’s appeal to “the tenour of his life;” 
 and manifests tha, “ factious discontent” has “ ori* 
 iginated in his breast.” 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 9 
 
 If Mr. Clark could put such a question to me, 
 whicli I solemnly affirm before the Omnipresent 
 God, that he did—if he could put such a question, 
 without even an attempt at retDrin, through the 
 peaceable exercise of our right of petitioning, what 
 language was ‘^unwarrantable” for me to use, to- 
 W'ards him, who denied me the benefit of my con¬ 
 stitutional right of petitioning, and who would not 
 present a petition to the Lcgishture of tliis pro¬ 
 vince, while it was his bounden duty to do so—a 
 petition vvhicli was to lay the giound w’ork of re¬ 
 moving the evils, of which he and Mr. Dickson so 
 loudly complained—evils which I looked upon as 
 completely barring every good x^hich was in con¬ 
 templation, from the success of my statistical la¬ 
 bours *? What are tkeirnot’ions of right and wrong, 
 1 am altogether at a loss to discover. If one man 
 only had appeared in this scene of confusion—if 
 one man had been the author of the placard stuck 
 up before us, we might have sef.led our minds to 
 rest with a verdict of insanity ; but a conspiracy of 
 mad men never, to my knowledge, was before 
 heard of. Silly actions, and shallow reasoning, 
 may be expected from the rabble; but to see such 
 conduct, and such a production, existing in, and 
 emanating from, the united counsel of Councillors, 
 is confounding and marvellous ii the extreme. 
 
 One part of Mr. ClarVs placard lias stirred up 
 doubt, 1 find, in more than himself aud fellow pla¬ 
 card maker; I mean his quotation of “ a radical 
 change of system in the goveruiLent of Upper Ca¬ 
 nada.” Tliere are some people sj nervous—so ve¬ 
 ry sensitive, that reason has nothing to do with 
 their actions and impulses. A worthy Professor 
 of St. Andrew’s College, sat one morning in ins 
 elbow cliair, while his wife readied the tea-kettle 
 to the fire. A drop fell on the Professor’s leg. 
 He saw the fire and black bottom of the kettle at 
 one glance. The association of scalding was in¬ 
 stantly formed, and the impulse was irresistible ; 
 he leaped to the floor in agony, end stormed at his 
 wife for the pain lie suffered. When he had sufli- 
 cieritly vented his groans and spleen—“Sit down,” 
 said his patient partner in this world’s misery, “sit 
 down and bless yourself, my deer; for the water 
 was but this moment drawn from the w’ell.” 
 
 The word government, may be variously appli¬ 
 ed :—to the frame of government—the constitu¬ 
 tion ; or, to the mode of carrying on the govern¬ 
 ment—the management—the administration. In 
 Britain, we never think of petitioning for a change 
 of government, in the first sense—a change of con¬ 
 stitution. We are all pleased vith the constitu¬ 
 tion ; but roar loudly, and petitbn often, against 
 the government, taken in the latter sense—the 
 management—the administration. To jietition 
 for a change of government, in Upper Canada, is 
 quite different:—here w e may safely petition for a 
 change of government, in every tense of the word. 
 The government or constitution of Upper Canada 
 rests merely on the authority of a British act of 
 Parliament; and all that is constituted thereby, is 
 subject to repeal, by the same power which enact¬ 
 ed it, as the words of our constitutional statute ex¬ 
 pressly indicate. The constitul.on of Upper Ca¬ 
 nada is to continue only “ during the continuance 
 of this actand should we petition for a change 
 of government here, we do nolbing more than is 
 done every day at home, for a repeal or aniend- 
 rnent of an act of the British Parliament; and, 
 though I had not at first contemplated the neces¬ 
 sity, I now think it might be very proper to petition 
 
 for a fresh act, which would free us from such pests 
 as Legislative Councillors, to boot. perhaps, too, 
 we might petition for a throne, instead of a chair. 
 
 If either the one hon. gentleman, or the other, 
 had been as well inclined to examine strictly my 
 words, as they are zealous to blacken my charac¬ 
 ter, and prove me to be a fool and a rogue, they 
 might have discovered, that these words did not go 
 to the extent that they, in the spirit of iiliberality, 
 have imagined. T speak of “ a change of system in 
 the government.” What is in the government, 
 cannot be the government: the wine in a bottle, is 
 not the bottle. Through all my writings, it will be 
 found that I spoke of the system; and sometimes 
 I identified this system, with that which ruled by 
 “ patronage and favouritism.” The system of pat¬ 
 ronage and favouritism, in the government of Up¬ 
 per Canada, I have long considered to be the great 
 ba*ne of prosperity ; and, without this is put down, 
 all Legislators sent to little York, will come back 
 better for themselves, but, bringing with them 
 nothing better for the country. Every one won¬ 
 ders at the influence of Dr. Strachan ; a man of no 
 ability—of no experience in the world ; but they 
 do not consider the nature of the tools which have 
 been put into his hands. It requires no ear to play 
 a hand-organ, and little strength to drive a horse 
 in a mill ; yet the one may give spirit to a dance, 
 and ihg other may convert wdieat into flour. 1 
 question if Dr. Strachan has not run some little 
 errand, or done some little favour, for every Hon¬ 
 orable, aud not Honorable, that ever went up to 
 little York to legislate. Such “ small sweet cour¬ 
 tesies” cost the Doctor nothing, and are altogether 
 fascinating to Councillors and members of Assem¬ 
 bly. On the other hand, mark the Doctor’s ire !!! 
 Look at me and tremble, every man who would 
 have a slice of land—look at me and tremble, every 
 man w'ho would desire to get smoothly on, in Up¬ 
 per Canada. 
 
 Perhaps the two Councillors who have posted 
 me as a promoter of sedition, are not quite imma¬ 
 culate, even though “ factious discontent never ori¬ 
 ginated in their breasts”—pcrluips they would ra¬ 
 ther see the province go to ruin, than lose the game 
 of patronage and favouritism—perhaps “ their 
 deeds being evil,” they would “love darkness ra¬ 
 ther than iTght.” It is true, that Covernour Gore 
 is gone, who made them Honourable, and got for 
 Mr. Clark the monopoly of mill seats, on the rap¬ 
 ids of Niagara ; but other Governours are coming 
 out, and Sir John Sherbrooke is even in the lower 
 province, now. Since Mr. Dickson has no regard 
 for my character and feelings, let us try how he 
 will stand the touch-stone ot truth. It came to 
 my knowledge, by perfect accident, that a member 
 of Assembly was hunting after land, while the 
 publick business for which he was paid to go to 
 York, was shamefully neglected. Under existing 
 circumstances, it was a duty to expose what was 
 going on, and to give a hint to the people, of the 
 real cause of their Parliament effecting no good 
 purpose. Mr. Dickson has since told me, that he 
 afso was busy petitioning for land, while he was 
 at York. Mr. Dickson having some years ago, 
 been employed as a lawyer, by the Indian depart¬ 
 ment, or otherwise for the Indians on the Grand 
 river, had a tract of land given him, consisting, I 
 believe, of r.OQO acres, by a Council of Indians, 
 called together under the influence of Colonel 
 Claus. Against this transaction, some other Indi¬ 
 ans protested, and Mr. Dickson’s title has hung fn 
 
10 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 dyhio. While at York, Mr. Dickson had a peti¬ 
 tion drawn up to' the Prince Regent to confirm his 
 title to this land; and to give weight to the peti¬ 
 tion, Sir John Sherbrooke was to favour Mr. Dick¬ 
 son with his support. Now, J ask the people of 
 this province to pause and reflect on this transac¬ 
 tion. The Indian land is their own, by as sacred 
 a title as any in Canada. If Mr. Dickson’s claim 
 to the land was fair, why ask the Prince Regent 
 for what is not his? why draw in his Excellency 
 the Commander-in-Chief, to go to the fountain 
 of honour for a favour, which cannot in honour be 
 bestowed ?—Here I leave this subject to-day, for I 
 wish the people to pause. 
 
 Canadians! rouse yourselves,! collectively and 
 individually come into action—save the province 
 from ruin—yourselves from insult and disgrace. 
 Let a party in every township, call at every house, 
 and ask aid to the cause of truth ; and let the 
 
 scripture text be repeated to every man_He that 
 
 is not for us, is against us.” 
 
 Rouse yourselves, Canadians! for villany is in 
 arms against your peace and prosperity :—rouse 
 yourselves 1 for all that was fought for, in war—all 
 that was hoped for, in peace, is at stake :—rouse 
 yourselves, Canadians! for constitutional ritrht is 
 ass^led. One bold and generous effort wTll yet 
 retrieve your honour—will retain to you the re¬ 
 nown of being honest men, and loyal subjects ; for 
 loyalty must not suffer the constitution to be inva¬ 
 ded and trod down. Let the Royal motto be our 
 peculiar watch word :-let Canada, from hence¬ 
 forth, bear these wofds on her shield— “God a.nd 
 OUR Right.” _ RODERT GOU RLAY.' 
 
 , Clinton, April 1818. 
 
 this day, a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of 
 the tov^ship of Clinton, was held at the house of Ri- 
 chard Hill, when the address of Mr. Robert Gourlay, 
 to the Resident Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated 
 April ^nd, lp8, was read, and the whole tenour and 
 sentiments tlierein contained, were unaniniously ap- 
 
 appointed Chairman. 
 
 1 he meeting then prweeded to elect a representative 
 
 to filHheT' *®" /• SUALNER was chosen 
 
 to fill the former situation, and Jacob Beam the latter. 
 
 A committee was also appointed, to forward the views 
 rL ^ DoMic, George Morris, 
 
 ^ The 
 
 r fv fL fl Mr. Robert Gour¬ 
 
 lay, for the disinterested manner in which he has come 
 forward m order to promote the interest andweZe 
 of the province. The thanks of the meeting were then 
 unanimously voted to Mr. John Beam, for his reiruTar 
 
 ""SacoI BeI^ " cm . 
 
 rp, . , Grimsby, Ain-jl 27, 1818. 
 
 '■egularly constituted, by callinir 
 S- UpS Canada!''''^^^^ ^and Owners 
 
 wiUolh^s'andcrcrnt:::^^^ 
 
 into execution. Dennis Wnr ^ ^ ^ carrying the same 
 
 ^ true copy. Dennis Wolverton, Clerks 
 
 Caistor, 28th Aprils 1816. 
 
 This day, the inhabitants of Caistor and Canboroucb 
 having met at tlie house of Mr. John Lymburner to 
 take measures for petitioning the Prince Regent, W 
 cording to the principles approved of, by the inhabit¬ 
 ants of Niagara township, met at that place, the thir¬ 
 teenth instant, Sa.muel Birdsall was called to the 
 chair, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, Esq. was unani¬ 
 mously elected representative, and Mr. John Lymeur- 
 ^R clerk. A committee for aiding the business with¬ 
 in the said townships, was also formed, consisting of 
 Messrs. Peter Melick, Mathew Smith, Williara Stecc^on 
 and Mathew Lymlmrner, Jun. 
 
 SAMUEL BIRDSALL, Chairman, 
 
 A true copy._ John Lymbu rner, Clak, 
 
 At a numerous meeting held at Becket’s Mill, in the 
 township of Pelham, the 29th April, 1818, pursuant to 
 the recommendations of the Niagara meeting, held on 
 the 13th inst. Thaddeus Davis was called to^the chair 
 —when the whole tenour and sentiments of Mr. Ro¬ 
 bert Gourlay’s address to the Resident Land Owners 
 of Upper Canada, dated April 2nd, 1818, was read over, 
 and unanimously approved of The meeting then 
 proceeded to appoint a representative and clerk-— 
 when JOHN HENDERSOaN was appointed to fill the 
 former situation, and Moses Brady, the latter. 
 
 A committee also, was appointed, to forward the 
 views of the meeting, viz :—Messrs. Samvel Becket, 
 William Henderson and Christopher McALpin. J'he thanks 
 of the meeting were unanimously voted to Mr. Robert 
 Gourlay, for his disinteresled exertions in behalf of the 
 province; likewise the thanks of the meeting to Mr. 
 
 1 haddeus Davis, for his publick spirit in coming for¬ 
 ward to fill the chair. 
 
 THADDEUS DAVIS, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy. Moses Brady, Clerk. 
 
 Thorold, April 29th, 1818. 
 
 This day, a numerous and respectable meeting of 
 the landholders and other inhabitants of this township 
 having been held at the house of Mr. Aaron Crane, it 
 was agreed to unite in the endeavours of other town¬ 
 ships, to represent the state of this province to his Roy¬ 
 al Highness the Prince Regent—Thereupon the meet¬ 
 ing was regularly constituted, by calling Mr. Ebene- 
 ZER Cavers to the chair. GEORGE KEEFER, Esq. 
 
 J. P. was elected to act as representative for the pei 
 pie of this township. Mr. William McClellan to act 
 as clerk. To forward the business within the town¬ 
 ship, the following persons were chosen a committee, 
 
 Ehenezer Carers, Jacob Upper, Thomas 
 Bald, Jun. Gan ett Vanderburgh and George Marlatt. 
 
 The Blanks of this meeting were unanimously voted 
 to Mr. Robert Gourlay, for his active exertions in be¬ 
 half of this province. Also, to the Chairman, Mr. 
 ±Abenezer Cavers, for his publick spirit in coming for¬ 
 ward to fill the duties of the chair. 
 
 LBENEZER CAVERS, Chairman. 
 
 ^ true c opy. W. McClellan, Cle rk. 
 
 IViUoughby, April 90th, 1818. 
 
 1 ^ meeting of the inhabitants of the town- 
 
 ship of Willoughby, having been held at the house of 
 John Palmer, and David Davis being called to the 
 chair, it was unanimously resolved, to support the 
 mea^res recommended in Mr. Gourlay’s address to 
 the Resident Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated 
 .^nd April, 1818—when JAMES CUMMINGS, Esq. 
 was unanimously chosen representative, and .Iacob 
 vjander, clerk. A committee to forward the business 
 Within the township, was then appointed, consisting of 
 Jacob EvcrcU, John Lemon, Henmf Hetck and Benj. Sharp. 
 
 . , DAVID DAVIS, Chairman. 
 
 ^ ^rue co py. Jacob Gander, Clerk. 
 
 Humberstonc, Jst of May, 1818. 
 
 Phis day, a second meeting of the inhabitants of 
 Humberstone, and the lake side of Wainfleet, having 
 been held at the house of Christian Zevits, to take into 
 consideration the state of the province, and the propri- 
 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 eiy of petitioning the Prince Regent, respecting the 
 
 same—Mr. Benjamin Horton in the chair_it was 
 
 agreed, to confirm the appointment of Mr. HORTON, 
 to act as representative, and Mr. Benjamin Hersey, 
 clerk—A committee was also formed, consisting of 
 Jacob Luse, AbraJiam Ilerscy^ John Weaver and Abraham 
 Kennaird, to carry the business into effect, in the 
 township. BENJAMIN HORTON, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy. Benjamin Hersey, Clerk. 
 
 Croiclandy May I, 1818. 
 
 Which day, a numerous meeting of the inhabitants 
 of the township of Crowland, having been held at 
 Cook's Mills, and Calvin Cook being called to the 
 chair, the address of Mr. Gourlay to the Resident 
 Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated April 2nd, 1818, 
 was read over, and its whole tenour and sentiments 
 unanimously approved of. 
 
 In conformity to the recommendations therein con¬ 
 tained, the meeting proceeded to elect a representative 
 and clerk-when JOSEPH CURRENT was appointed 
 to fill the former situation, and Samuel Glover, the 
 latter. A committee was also appointed, to forward 
 ^e views of the meeting, viz :-^Jacob Brookfield, Win. 
 Cook, Uonard Misner and Christopher Buchner. 
 
 The thanks of the meeting were then unanimously 
 voted to Calvin Cook, for his publick spirit in coming 
 forward on this occasion, and liberallv fulfilling the 
 duties of the chair. CALVIN COOK, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy. Samuel Glover, Clak. 
 
 At this meeting, Crowel Wilson, Esq. J. P. was 
 proposed as representative, but declined, owing to the 
 present state of his health. He came forward, howe¬ 
 ver, as a subscriber, and delivered a most spirited ad¬ 
 dress to the people, which unhappily cannot have suf¬ 
 ficient justice done to it in this report. In substance, 
 he said—“I know, friends and neighbours, that all 
 British subjects inherit the right of petitioning the 
 Throne, for redress or grievances ; and I conceive that 
 meeting together, in this friendly and peaceable man¬ 
 ner, for that purpose, may be attended with most be¬ 
 neficial effects to the inhabitants of this province. 
 
 “ The law quoted hy my much esteemed friend, the 
 Hon. Thom^is Clark, does not regard meetings assem¬ 
 bled for the \>caceable exercise of petitioning, even in 
 Britain ; but here, at any rate, it can have no more 
 force than the laws of .Tapan or China. This law was 
 made in 1793 ; but before that date, the inhabitants of 
 Upper Canada had received a power of legislating for 
 themselves. Our first step might have been, to peti¬ 
 tion the Provincial Parliament, as to the public grie¬ 
 vances ; but the different branches of Parliament, and 
 our members of Assembly, have neglected us. Our 
 only resource now is, to petition the Throne ; and for 
 iny part I would rather be adopted into a tribe of In¬ 
 dians, than give up this privilege. I am not for bear¬ 
 ing the kicks and culls of servants of Government: I 
 am not to be alleviated under such grievances, by re¬ 
 turning thanks for the same. It is well known, that, 
 notwithstanding the reputed purity and vigilance of 
 the ancient government of Rome, the people of its dis¬ 
 tant colonies were most shamefully imposed upon, by 
 those delegated to rule over them. I have a high opi¬ 
 nion of the Administrator and Chief Justice, and do 
 not think that any blame rests with them, or other 
 members of the Executive Council ; but, certainly, 
 
 ‘ there is something rotten in the state of Denmark’ 
 
 and I rather think that evils originate at homo. Be¬ 
 fore the war, any man who came from any part of the 
 globe, received, upon petitioning, and taking the oath 
 of allegiartce, 200 acres of land : the fees were thirty, 
 seven and a half dollars, and the location could be made 
 on any land not before taken up. Now his Majesty's 
 own subjects, who have borne all the hardships of war, 
 tor the support of the Crown, can only draw 100 acres, 
 and perhaps that is located in some remote corner, 
 such as the township of Brock, where it is no better 
 tnan a location in the moon ; it being impossible to 
 get there but in tlie frozen season of the yeifr. The 
 
 11 
 
 Honourable Thomas Clark, I consider to be a loyal 
 subject, and faithful friend to the British Government ; 
 but us to the right of petitioning, he is grossly mista¬ 
 ken.” 
 
 Wainflcct, May 2, 1818. 
 
 This day, a meeting of the inhabitants of this town¬ 
 ship, was held at the house of David Thompson, for 
 the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety 
 of petitioning the Supreme Government for a redress 
 of grievances : when Mr. Gourlay’s address to the Re¬ 
 sident Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated the 2nd 
 ult. was read over, and its whole tenor and sentiments 
 unanimously approved of. The meeting then proceed- 
 
 TMOMP^nwclerk-when DAVID 
 iflOAIPbON, Lsq. was chosen to fill the former situ¬ 
 ation, and James Thompson, the latter. A committee 
 also was appointed, to forward the vieWs of the meet- 
 ing, VIZ Messrs. Ilcnrij Groff, Nat/,an Kelky, Stephen 
 N. tarr and Hiram Humphrey. *' ^ 
 
 V’® "I®®*,*-® ‘'’®" unanimously 
 
 voted to Mr. Gourlay, (or his disinterestedness, and for 
 coming forward and ably assisting to promote the good 
 cause. DAVID THOMPSON, Chairman. 
 
 A true copy. James Thompson, Clerk. 
 
 Mr. Thompson, the Chairman of this meeting, after 
 returning thanks for the honour done to him, spoke 
 with much animation on the right of the subject to pe¬ 
 tition the Prince Regent, and deprecated the conipari- 
 son of the present meetings in Upper Canada, with 
 those rebellious assemblages wdiich had, in Ireland 
 proceeded to unw’arrantable lengths. Those who call 
 the present meetings seditious, would do well, he said, 
 to call to mind how the people of Canada rallied round 
 the Koyal standard, in the late war—not only when it 
 waved victorious, but even in the most critical times. 
 W as it not a fact, that those who now' accused us of 
 sedition, left us and flew to other countries for refuge, 
 till the storm was over ? None of you, gentlemen, 
 acted thus : but you see the return that is made. You 
 all know that Councillors and Commanders promised 
 you land, for your extraordinary services as good sol- 
 diers—and ^ou all expected your private losses to be 
 made up. Three years have now elapsed since the din 
 of arms ceased; but wdiere are your rewards—w’hat 
 has become of your claims ? Should we attribute such 
 neglect to our Parliament, or can we suppose that the 
 Supreme Government liath forbidden the fulfilment of 
 justice. In my opinion, the fault lies with our own 
 representatives, and it is now’ high time for us to peti¬ 
 tion the Prince Regent, for inquiry into the causes ot 
 evil, and for our just demands. 
 
 St. Catharines, Ath May, 1840. 
 
 This day, representatives (and clerks,) chosen by 
 the inhabitants of the several^ townships of Niagara 
 district, for the purpose of petitioning the Prince Re¬ 
 gent, on the general state of publick affairs now ex¬ 
 isting in the province of Upper Canada, met here— 
 Robert Hamilton, Esq. representing the tow nship of 
 -.xr XX Niagara. 
 
 Wm. H. Merritt, Esq. J. P. do. Grantham. 
 
 John Clark, Esq. J. P. do. Louth. 
 
 Dr.TIyrus Sumner, do. Clinton. 
 
 Capt. Henry Hixon, do. Grimsby. 
 
 Major W'm^ Robertson, do. Caistor & Canboro’ 
 
 Mr. John Kennedy, do. Gainsboro’ 
 
 Mr. John Henderson, do. Pelham. 
 
 George Keefer, Esq. J. P. do. Thorold. 
 
 Dr. John J. LefiTerty, do. Stamford. 
 
 James Cummings, Esq. J. P. do. W-rlloughby. 
 
 John Baxter, Esq. do. Bertie. 
 
 Mr. Joseph Current, do. Crowland. 
 
 IVIr. Benjamin Horton, do. Humberstone, and 
 
 ., m, Lake side of W^ainfleet. 
 
 David Thompson, Esq. do. Wainfleet. 
 
 John Clark, Esq. being unanimously called to the 
 chair,^ the business of the day commenced, by Mr. 
 Clark’s reading over Mr. Gourlay’s address to the Re¬ 
 sident Land Owners of Upper Canada, dated 2nd April, 
 
12 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 1818. The recommendations and principles contained 
 in the address, were declared to be those now general¬ 
 ly approved of, and as constituting the basis of the pre¬ 
 sent proceedings. It was then moved and carried, that 
 Mr. Gourlay should be called to the sitting, and in¬ 
 vited to assist in tlie business of the day. 
 
 George Adams, Esq., J. P. was elected to be Treasu¬ 
 rer for this district, and, being sent for, accepted the 
 office. William J. Kerr, Esq. was elected ^retary ; 
 and these gentlemen were desired to retire with Toien- 
 ship Clerks, to arrange accounts, and commence a regu¬ 
 lar journal of transactions. 
 
 It was then moved, that a draft of a petition, previ¬ 
 ously prepared, should be read—which being done, its 
 general principles were approved of, and it was agreed 
 further, that consideration, as to its style, &c. be re¬ 
 ferred to a committee of four. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously carried, That as soon as the 
 committee are sufficiently satisfied with the wording 
 of the Petition, they . order it to be printed, with a view 
 toils lying before the publickone month, and affording 
 opportunity for animadversion or amendment, that fi¬ 
 nally it may be so drawn out as to give the greatest 
 possible degree of satisfaction to the people of this dis¬ 
 trict. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously carried. That the same com¬ 
 mittee do immediately publish, throughout the pro¬ 
 vince, the whole proceedings of the people of this dis¬ 
 trict of Niagara, up to this timeand take all necessa¬ 
 ry steps towards promoting the objects in view. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously carried. That the gentlemen 
 of the committee advertise, Saturday, 6th June, at 2 
 o'clock afternoon, as a proper time for the people of 
 other districts to hold township meetings throughout 
 the province, at all phices wliere township meetings 
 are usually held : That Saturday the 13th of the same 
 month, be advertised for the meetings of township re¬ 
 presentatives, at the head town of their respective dis¬ 
 tricts—there to choose district representatives, to as¬ 
 semble in the Provincial Convention. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously carried. That Monday, 6th 
 July next, be advertised as the day of meeting at York, 
 of the Provincial Convention—there to appoint a Com¬ 
 mission to proceed to England, with the petitions to 
 the Prince Regent, and hold conference, generally, on 
 all matters then requiring attention. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously cairicd, That it is proper for 
 each district to send to the Provincial Convention, re¬ 
 presentatives in like number and proportion as they 
 send members to Parliament. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously carried. That it be recom¬ 
 mended, that the district representatives for the West¬ 
 ern, London, Gore and Niagara districts, do meet to¬ 
 gether, at Ancaster, on Friday, 3d July—there to tarry 
 one or two days to consult and order, with regard to 
 any thing in these districts that may then bo discovered 
 to be neglected. Also, that the district representatives 
 for Ottawa, the Eastern, Johnstown and Midland dis¬ 
 tricts, do meet for the like purpose, on Wednesday the 
 first of July, at Earnest-town. 
 
 The meeting proceeded to choose representatives for 
 Niagara district—when Robert Hamilton, Esq. Doet. 
 Cyrus Sumner, John Clark, Esq. J. P. and Maj. Wm. 
 Robertson, were duly elected. It was then moved 
 arid carried, that these gentlemen constitute the com¬ 
 mittee above mentioned? 
 
 One of the representatives requesting to be allowed 
 to read a paper to the meeting, the request was granted. 
 The paper regarded certain partial proceedings in 
 Courts of Justice, and attributed the same to the pre¬ 
 sent corrupt state of publick aftairs. The gentleman 
 wished the meeting to take the same into considera¬ 
 tion ; but the proposal was lost—this being declared 
 not a meeting of deliberation, as to private or particu¬ 
 lar grievances—but for the pure purpose of petitioning 
 the Prince Regent generally, as to the state of the pro¬ 
 vince. It was admitted that this, or other papers re¬ 
 specting publick grievances, might be given to district 
 representatives, .sealed up, and directed to be put into 
 
 the hands of the Commissioners, that they may make 
 what use they pleased of the same, for the general 
 good of the province. 
 
 Moved, and unanimously agreed. That the thanks of 
 the meeting be given to John Clark, Esq. for his im¬ 
 partial conduct in the chair. 
 
 The meeting then adjourned till Monday, 8th June, 
 at St. Catharines, when the Petition wdll be finally 
 adopted, and measures taken for its signature, in the 
 several townships of this district. 
 
 Wm. j. Kerr, S'cc’y. JOHN CLARK, Chairman, 
 
 Draft of an Addres, proposed for 
 presentation to the Prince Re¬ 
 gent—submitted to the consider¬ 
 ation of the people of Upper Ca¬ 
 nada, for animadversion and a- 
 mendment. 
 
 To His Royal Highness, George, Prince of 
 Walks, Regent of the United Kingdom of 
 Great Britain and Ireland, &ic. &.c. &<c. 
 
 The humble Address of Inhabitants of Upper Canada: 
 May it please your Royal Highnes.s— 
 
 The subjects of your Royal father, dwelling in 
 Upper Canada, should need no words to give assu¬ 
 rance of their loyalty, if the whole truth had reach¬ 
 ed the Throne of their Sovereign. His loving sub¬ 
 jects have reason to believe, that the truth has not 
 been told. 
 
 During three years of war, Upper Canada was 
 exposed to the ravages of a powerful and invete¬ 
 rate foe. The Government of the United States 
 had long been concerting the invasion of this pro¬ 
 vince : hostile preparations against it, had been 
 long masked under other designs, and at last the 
 accumulated torrent of violence burst on the de¬ 
 fenceless children of the British empire. Nor were 
 they assailed by the weapons of war alone. An 
 insidious proclamation preceded the host of the 
 enemy—forgetful of honour—regardless of huma¬ 
 nity ; and, daring to seduce the subjects of Britain 
 from their true allegiance. The subjects of Bri¬ 
 tain remained dauntless and firm. It was not for 
 property, that they rose against the invader: the 
 invader would have spared to them their property. 
 They flew to arms in defence of the rights and 
 sovereignty of Britain. Twice had the American 
 standard been planted in Upper-Canada, while yet 
 but a handful of British troops aided the native bat¬ 
 talions of the province :—twice did these raw bat¬ 
 talions wave the laurel of victory over the pros¬ 
 trate intruders on their soil. The second year of 
 war saw Canada contending with yet little assist¬ 
 ance from the parent state:—the second year of 
 war saw her sons confirmed in their virtue, and 
 still more determined to resist. Wives and chil¬ 
 dren had fled from their homes ; the face of the 
 country was laid waste, and the fire of revenge 
 was sent forth to consummate distress and misery; 
 
 —still was the spirit of the people unextinguished 
 —still did it burn with patriotism and loyalty. 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 13 
 
 By the third year, every risk of conquest was at 
 an end; for now the British aids poured into the 
 provinces; and peace was proclaimed, when war 
 was no longer to be feared. 
 
 It is now more than three years since there was 
 an end of war; but, strange to say, these years of 
 peace have manifested no appearance of affection 
 or care from the mother country to the Canadas. 
 Commercial treaties have been made, altogether 
 neglectful of British interests, here : Government 
 transactions, which used to give spirit to trade and 
 industry, are at a stand: troops are withdrawn: 
 fortifications are suffered to go to ruin ; and ru¬ 
 mours are abroad too shocking to be repeated in 
 the Royal ear. 
 
 May it please your Royal Highness to listen 
 calmly to the complaints and grievances of the 
 people of Upper Canada, who are fully assured, 
 that your Royal Highness has been kept ignorant 
 of most important truths—who are well assured of 
 the generous disposition of your Royal heart; and 
 of your desire, that British subjects should, every 
 where, share equally your paternal regard and af¬ 
 fection. 
 
 It was matter of much provocation to the people 
 of this province, to see, even during the war, which 
 afforded such striking proofs of their loyalty and 
 valour, reports sent home, highly rating the merit 
 of regular troops, while the tribute due to Cana¬ 
 dian levies, w as unfairly let down. Nay, the prin¬ 
 ciples of the most loyal subjects here, were often 
 stigmatized by British officers, ignorant of human 
 character, and still more so of circumstances which 
 affect it, in this part of the world. It was not so 
 with the immortal Brock. He justly appreciated 
 Canadian worth ; and his memory w ill happily 
 long cherish, in the minds of the Canadian people, 
 a due regard for the genuine spirit of a British sol¬ 
 dier, at once generous and brave. 
 
 The loyal inhabitants of Upper Canada would 
 disdain to notice the misrepresentations ofindividu- 
 als, so contrary to notorious truth, if these had not 
 obviously conspired, with other causes, to lessen 
 the regard which should subsist between British 
 subjects, here and at home—to influence the con¬ 
 duct of Ministers towards the general interest of 
 the provinces. 
 
 The loyal subjects of his Majesty in Upper Ca¬ 
 nada, suffered grievously, during the war, in their 
 property, and many were bereft of their all. A 
 solemn investigation, on this subject, took place: 
 the claims of sufferers were authenticated; and 
 there was every reason to expect that recompence 
 would immediately follow ; yet nothing has follow¬ 
 ed, but delay and insult. Surely, if there is among 
 mankind a single principle of justice, this fs one, 
 that the individuals of a nation ought not, partial¬ 
 ly, to bear the weight of publick calamity—surely, 
 
 individuals who have exposed their lives for Go¬ 
 vernment, should not be disgusted with finding 
 Government regardless of those very principles 
 w^hich it is intended to sustain. The people of this 
 province are well aware, that their fellow subjects 
 at home are pressed hard with taxation ; and far 
 is it from their w’ish that relief should be afforded 
 from thence. Canada contains, within itself, ample 
 means of exhonerating Government from the 
 claims of sufferers by war; and it is wdthin the 
 Jiat of your Royal Highness to remove, by a sin¬ 
 gle breath, the evil now' so justly complained of. 
 Millions of acres of fertile land lie, here, at the dis¬ 
 posal of your Royal Highness—upon the credit of 
 which, put under proper management, not only 
 the fair claims of loyal sufferers could be instantly 
 advanced, but vast sums could be raised for the im¬ 
 provement of the provinces, and the increase of re¬ 
 venue to Britain. 
 
 Another grievance, manifesting the neglect of 
 Government to the concerns of Upper Canada, is 
 equally notorious, and must be still more abhor¬ 
 rent to the generous feelings of your Royal High¬ 
 ness. 
 
 The young men of this province, who were arm¬ 
 ed in its defence, had, for their spirited conduct, 
 the promise of their Commanders, that land would 
 be granted them, as a reward for their services, as 
 soon as war was terminated ; and after this pro¬ 
 mise W'as universally confided in, the Parliament of 
 Upper Canada passed an extraordinary law, in the 
 face of established British principles, that the mi¬ 
 litia should pass beyond the frontier. With these 
 promises, and in obedience to the law', the militia 
 passed beyond the frontier with alacrity ; yet, since 
 the peace, the greater part of them have been de¬ 
 nied the pledge of their extraordinary services, and 
 the land is unjustly withheld. 
 
 Such ingratitude—such dishonour—such errours 
 in policy, your Royal Highness may be w'ell assu¬ 
 red, could not exist without extraordinary influen¬ 
 ces : and, were your Royal Highness sufficiently 
 informed as to these, and of the true state of Up¬ 
 per Canada, we flatter ourselves most important 
 changes would speedily take place, as well for the 
 glory of the Throne, as for the benefit of its sub¬ 
 jects. 
 
 Permit the loyal subjects of his Majesty merely 
 to say as much, at the present time, on this sub¬ 
 ject, as may induce your Royal Highness to order 
 inquiry to be made. 
 
 The lands of the Crown in Upper Canada, are of 
 immense extent, not only stretching far and wide 
 into the wilderness, but scattered over the province, 
 and intermixed with private property, already cul¬ 
 tivated. The disposal of this land is left to Minis¬ 
 ters at home, who are palpably ignorant of existing 
 circumstances, and to a Council of men resident 
 
14 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 in the province, wlio, it is believed, have long con- Deeply penetrated with these sentiments, and 
 verted the trust reposed in them to purposes of most seriously inclined to have such needful chan- 
 selfishness. The scandalous abuses, in this de- gcs speedily cflTected, the loyal subjects of Britain, 
 partmcnt, came some years ago to such a pitch of dwelling in Upper Canada, now take the extraor- 
 monstrous magnitude, that the home Ministers dinary step of sending home Commissioners to 
 wisely imposed restrictions on the land Council of bear this to the Throne, and humbly entreat your 
 Upper Canada. These, however, have by no means Royal Highness to give ear to the details which 
 removed the evil ; and a system of patronage and it will be in their power to relate: above all, that 
 •favouritism, in the disposal of the Crown lands, your Royal Highness would, immediately, send 
 still exists, altogether destructive of moral recti- out to this province a Commission, consisting of 
 tude and virtuous feeling, in the management of discreet and wise men—men of business and ta- 
 publick affairs. Corruption, indeed, has reached lent, who shall be above every influence here, and 
 
 such a height in this province, that it is thought no 
 other part of the British empire witnesses the like : 
 and it is vain to look for improvement till a radical 
 change is effected. It matters not what charac¬ 
 ters fill situations of publick trust, at present:— 
 all sink beneath the dignity of men—become vitia¬ 
 ted and weak, as soon as they are placed within 
 the vortex of destruction. Confusion on confu¬ 
 sion has grown out of this unhappy system ; and 
 the very lands of the Crown, the giving away of 
 which, has created such mischief and iniquity, have 
 ultimately come to little value from abuse. The 
 poor subjects of his Majesty, driven from home by 
 distress, to whom portions of land are granted, can 
 now find in the grant no benefit; and loyalists of 
 the United Empire—the descendants of those who 
 sacrificed their all, in America, in behalf of British 
 rule—men whose names were ordered on record, 
 for their virtuous adherence to your Royal father, 
 —the descendants of these men find, now, no fa¬ 
 vour in their destineiTrewards : nay, these rewards, 
 when granted, have, in many cases, been rendered 
 worse than nothing ; fur the legal rights in the en¬ 
 joyment of them have been held at nought: their 
 land has been rendered unsaleable, and, in some 
 cases, only a source of distraction and care. 
 
 Under this system of internal management, and 
 weakened from other evil influences. Upper Cana¬ 
 da now pines in comparative decay : discontent and 
 poverty are experienced in a land supremely bles¬ 
 sed with the gifts of nature: dread of arbitrary 
 power wars, here, against the free exercise of rea¬ 
 son and manly sentiment: laws have been set a- 
 side : legislators have come into derision ; and con¬ 
 tempt from the mother country seems fast gather¬ 
 ing strength to disunite the people of Canada from 
 their friends at home. 
 
 The immediate interference of your Royal High¬ 
 ness, might do much to check existing evils ; and 
 might wholly remove those w’hich spring from the 
 system of patronage and favouritism, in the land 
 granting department. Other evils, however, 
 greatly retard the prosperity of Upper Canada— 
 evils w hich have their root in the original consti¬ 
 tution of the province, and these can only be remo¬ 
 ved by the interference of the British Parliament, 
 now most imperiously required. 
 
 who may be instructed to make inquiry into all the 
 sources of evil. 
 
 N. B. Should any person incline to draw end an Ad- 
 DRF.ss, entirely different from the ahove^ it is requested that 
 a copy may be directed to “Mr. John Ross, Niagara,'* 
 (for the District Committee,) and it is also requested, that 
 reports of township meetings, stating what persons are ap¬ 
 pointed to act as representatives, clerks, and committee 
 men, he forwarded to the same, with all convenient speed, 
 immediately after such meetings are held. 
 
 of the Upper Canadian Con¬ 
 vention of Friends to liiQtiiry. 
 
 Yoj'k, Monday, July 0th, 1818. 
 This day a Convention, consisting of persons 
 chosen according to the rules prescribed in the 
 pamphlet, entitled, “ Principles and Proceedings of 
 the Jnhahitants of the District of JViagara,for ad¬ 
 dressing his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, 
 met here. present. 
 
 FOR THE C Robert Hamilton, Esq. 
 
 I John Clark, Esq. J. P. 
 
 District of Niagara, ^ Dr. Cyrus Sumner, 
 
 I (Major William Robertson, re- 
 V ported absent, from sickness.) 
 
 District of Gore, \ Beaslkv, Esq. J. P. 
 
 ^ Mr. William Chisholm. 
 
 London District, Mr. Calvin Martin. 
 
 Western do. Mr. Roderick Drake. 
 
 ( Daniel Washburn, Esq. 
 
 Mr. Davis Hawley, 
 
 Mr. Paul Peterson, 
 
 Mr. Jacob W. Myers, 
 
 Thomas Coleman, Esq. 
 l^islrict of Newcastle, Mr. Robert.!. Kerr. 
 Johnstown District, Mr. Nathan Hicok. 
 
 Ottawa do. . 
 
 Horne do. . 
 
 It being proposed, that these gentlemen should 
 each give satisfactory evidence, by reference to 
 printed and written documents, or on their word of 
 honor, that they had been duly appointed to repre¬ 
 sent people of the respective districts, (and the 
 same being complied with,) the meeting was regu¬ 
 larly constituted, by calling RICHARD BEAS¬ 
 LEY, Esq. J. P. to the Chair. 
 
 ]\Ir, Beasley opened the business in a neat speech, 
 wherein lie deprecated the false and malicious in¬ 
 sinuations and assertions throwm out before the 
 public, as to the views and intentions of those who 
 joined in the present business. It w’as only neces¬ 
 sary, he said, to look to the faces now present, to 
 have refuted every possiblethoughtofevil intention. 
 
 William J. Kerr, Esq. J. P. was named, and 
 chosen Secretary for this Convention, and Daniel 
 Washburn, Esq. Assistant Secretary. 
 
 It was then moved and carried, that Mr. Gour- 
 lay be admitted to assist in the deliberations of the 
 
CHRONICLES 
 
 present occasion—to speak, but not to vote. Mr. 
 Gourlay hereupon came forward, and addressing 
 himself to the chair, expressed his great satisfac¬ 
 tion at seeing the measures which he had had the 
 happiness to suggest to the public of Upper Cana¬ 
 da, so far matured, in the meeting of this Conven¬ 
 tion. He said that these measures would have had 
 the most complete success, but for unforeseen and 
 unexpected influences; that it was obvious, from 
 the beginning, that many men, accustomed to draw 
 profit from corruption, or enjoyment from the ex¬ 
 orcise of arbitrary power, would oppose.measures 
 tending to refresh the body-politic, and restrain 
 the licentiousness of ill-regulated authority ; but 
 It could not have been supposed, that there would 
 have appeared men so base as to injure a good and 
 great public cause, from mere wanton malevolence, 
 or to gratify private pique and revenge ; far less' 
 that any of those men who represented the people 
 in 1 arliaruent, would take arms against measures 
 not only pure, but having in view the very ends 
 which the Assembly had repeatedly strove to at¬ 
 tain. That such had been the case, was, however 
 unfortunately too true; and the machinations of 
 such parties had held back that frank and confiding 
 support to the cause, which certainly would have 
 prevailed throughout, from the unbiassed feelino-s 
 of the people. Mr. G. said, that, from his know- 
 ledge of the public mind, there was only required 
 a little time to get over every difficulty raised by 
 lying reports and evil influences—that he had po¬ 
 sitive information, that even already, many people 
 \vho had been at first staggered under ignorance 
 of the truth, and the novelty of proposed mea¬ 
 sures, were fast adopting more liberal sentiments 
 and heartily wishing us well, though they had lost 
 the opportunity of choosing representatives to 
 speak for them on this occasion: that it would be 
 of infinite consequence to give time for reflection • 
 and, as there was but one great interest in the 
 country, so there might be the most harmonious 
 effort possible made to promote it. Under circum¬ 
 stances, then, he w’ould propose a change of mea¬ 
 sures : he would propose, instead of sendintr home 
 a Commission directly, to his Royal Highness the 
 Prince Regent, that a Deputation should wait on 
 the Governor as soon as arrived, or, should pro¬ 
 ceed to meet him at Quebec : that this Deputation 
 should present two petitions—one to the Prince 
 with a request, that he, (the Governor,) should im¬ 
 mediately send home the same to be presented at 
 the first levee : that another petition should be pre¬ 
 sented to himself, praying that he would immedi¬ 
 ately dissolve the present Parliament, and issue 
 writs for a new election—that he would meet the 
 new Parliament with all possible , dispatch, and 
 recommend, as its first great object, (after getting 
 the aimual supply voted,) to proceed to an inquiry 
 into the state of the province, and have a Commis¬ 
 sion appointed to go home with the result, in time 
 to have the same laid before the Imperial Parlia¬ 
 ment, in the early part of next session. Mr. G. 
 said that, in his address of the 2nd of April* he 
 had asserted that there was little to be expected 
 from change of representatives or Governors. He 
 would now qualify that assertion. The appoint¬ 
 ment of the Duke of Richmond to be Governor- 
 in-chief of the Canadas, was an auspicuous event. 
 
 The Duke of Richmond was a rare character_one 
 
 who had proved that Royalty itself could not make 
 him stoop to indignity, and one w^ho had nobly 
 supported the rights of the people of England. 
 
 OP CANADA. 11^ 
 
 He had long ago maintained, that every man who 
 paid taxes should have a vote in Parliamentary 
 election, and his opinion had been proudly quoted 
 by the lovers of rational reform, upon every occa¬ 
 sion sin.ee. In this country, we had the'fullest 
 privileges as to the choice of representatives—the 
 fullest security that taxation, never could be made 
 oppressive to the community. We had nothing to 
 expect from the Duke of Richmond as to this; but 
 his former conduct and declared opinions, were 
 quite clieering to our hopes, of his heartilv joining 
 in every effort for the public good ; and Sir Pere¬ 
 grine Maitland, with such an example, and w'ith 
 such an adviser, we might be well assured, will be 
 forward in performing honorably and well, the high 
 and important duties entrusted to him. As to a 
 change of representatives, there was, at this time 
 considerable hope. Men’s minds were now roused 
 to the full importance of having respectable cha¬ 
 racters in Assembly : they had seen the evil con¬ 
 sequences from too much indifference as to this • 
 and, in fact, the Parliamentary character had fallen 
 so low, that respectable men had, for years, decli¬ 
 ned coming forward, as candidates. Now, he was 
 convinced that men of solid w'orth and judgment 
 would offer themselves, and that While all were 
 alive to public interests, every voter would seri¬ 
 ously think of the character he supported. There 
 were now in Assembly, several men quite a dis¬ 
 grace to their situation. These men, ho thought, 
 would certainly not now be returned; and such as 
 were still in favor with their constituents, from 
 uprightness of intention, (and there was a consi¬ 
 derable proportion that he believed to be w’orthy, 
 honest men, such as perhaps could not be excel- 
 led,) that he was sure these men would resume 
 their duties, with increased energy and determina¬ 
 tion, to recover to the country that character and 
 credit, whicli their remissness had unhappily tend¬ 
 ed to degrade and dissipate.” 
 
 These measures requiring time for reflection, it 
 w’as moved by Mr. Washburn, and carried, that 
 this meeting do adjourn till to-morrow, at 9 o’clock. 
 
 York, Tuesday, 7th July, 1818. 
 This day the Convention being met, and Richard 
 Beasley, Esq. in the chair—Mr. Washburn rose, 
 and after making some remarks on the proposals 
 yesterday brouglit forward, submitted the follow¬ 
 ing Resolutions for consideration—viz : 
 
 Hesolved, 1 st, That wdiilst this Convention holds 
 It one of the most sacred rights of British subjects, 
 at all times, directlyto petition the throne of their 
 Sovereign, relative to their grievances; yet, never¬ 
 theless, under the present peculiar existing circum¬ 
 stances of this country, the members of this Con¬ 
 vention, as well out of respect to that honorable 
 body, the Commons House of Assembly of Upper 
 Canada, as for other causes, deem it their most in¬ 
 dispensable duty, on this important occasion, to 
 recommend, in the strongest terms, to their fellow 
 subjects resident in this province, a spirited, formal 
 and respectful application to that honorable House, 
 for an inquiry into the state of the province. 
 
 2,nd, That John Clark, Cyrus Sumner and Ro¬ 
 derick Drake, Esqrs., be a permanent Committee, 
 for the management of the affairs of this Conven¬ 
 tion, and that they, as soon as may be practicable, 
 prepare a respectful Petition, praying for inquiry, 
 and expressive of grievances, (for the immediate 
 sanction of this Convention,) to be by them circula- 
 
16 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 ted fur subscribers, and presented at the bar of the 
 House of Assembly, at .heir next ensuing* session. 
 
 3rd. That the said Committee be further autho¬ 
 rised to frame an address to his Royal Highness 
 the Prince Regent, on tlie subject of grievances 
 believed to exist in Upper Canada, which, when 
 approved of by this Convention, shall be submitted 
 by the Committee, together with the Petition 
 above mentioned, to th3 honorable the House of 
 Assembly, at their next meeting, for their altera¬ 
 tion and amendment. 
 
 (Signed) D. WASHBURN. 
 
 The following Resolut i or s, founded upon the propo¬ 
 sals of Mr. Gourlay, rvere then submitted, viz : 
 
 1st. Resolved, That this Convention, assembled 
 for the declared specific purpose of sending home 
 a Commission to EnglanJ, with an Address to his 
 Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on the state of 
 public affairs of this province, sees good reasons 
 for departing from the arescribed course of pro¬ 
 ceeding; or, at least, fordelaying the execution of 
 the plan of procedure first intended. 
 
 Because, various urfair advantages have been 
 unexpectedly taken, by veak, wicked and selfish 
 men, to deceive the public, as to the true and legi¬ 
 timate objects in view, as well as to stir up doubts 
 with regard to the propiiety and legality of the 
 measures proposed ; thereby distracting the public 
 mind, and creating false fears and alarms. 
 
 ^2nd. Because, by a little delay, and with further 
 means being used to dissipate alarms, and convince 
 the people of the deceptions practised towards 
 thern, a more universal concurrence will be insu¬ 
 red in every required measure, and a better chance 
 of succeeding in the great objects in view. 
 
 3rd. Because, the appointment of the Duke of 
 Richmond, to be Governot-in-Chief of the Canadas, 
 has generated hopes whic i could have sprung from 
 the appointment of no other individual whatever. 
 
 4M, Because, the people of this province are now 
 60 effectually roused to t just sense of the bad 
 consequences of rnal-administration, and weak Le¬ 
 gislative proceedings, tha* when Parliament again 
 meets, there is every hope that, narrowly watched 
 by the public eye, its every motion will be guided 
 and determined by better principles, and more 
 manly resolutions—that, in short, the virtue of 
 Parliament will be braced and upheld by the vir¬ 
 tue of the people. 
 
 2nd. Resolved, That, under all circumstances, 
 the members of this Convention conceive, that they 
 will best maintain their own honor, and the inte¬ 
 rests of their constituents, by appointing a Deputa¬ 
 tion to wait on Sir Peregrine Maitland°as soon as 
 he arrives in this province,or to proceed, if deemed 
 expedient, to meet liitn at Q,uebec, to entreat a 
 conference with him, and 'o present him with the 
 printed Principles and Proceedings of this Conven¬ 
 tion, and of its supporters. 
 
 3rd. Resolved, That this Deputation shall bear 
 along two Petitions—one to his Royal Highness 
 the Prince Regent, expressive of the loyalty and 
 dutiful consideration of this Convention, to the 
 Royal dignity, and callinc the Royal attention to 
 the conduct of affairs in the Land-granting depart- 
 ment of Upper Canada, as well as to the means 
 which his Royal Highness possesses, of redressimr 
 r^tantly, the grievances ofclaimants for sufferin4 
 by war, and of militia men expecting promised 
 lands—which Petition, the Deputies shall be<r of 
 bir Peregrine Maitland tc send home, and h^ave 
 
 presented to the Prince, at his first public levee, 
 by such person as Sir Peregrine shall think proper 
 to confide in. 
 
 ^th. Resolved, That this measure is more espe¬ 
 cially necessary to maintain the right of all British 
 subjects in petitioning the Throne, in opposition to 
 notorious assertions, that public petitions ouahi, 
 necessarily, to be presented to the Throne, through 
 the medium of the House of Assembly—a practice 
 W'hich has no precedent, and which would be viti¬ 
 ating one of the most important articles of the 
 Bill of Rights, that of direct petitioning. 
 
 5//i. Resolved, That the other Petition shall be 
 addressed to Sir Peregrine Maitland himself, as 
 Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, praying 
 him to call Parliament together as speedily as pos¬ 
 sible, that inquiry into tlie state of tlie province 
 may be instituted, and a Commission appointed to 
 go home w’ith the result, in sucli time as the same 
 may be brought, by Ministers of the Crown, be¬ 
 fore the Imperial Parliament, at an early stage of 
 its next session ; and submitting to the judgment 
 of Sir Peregrine Maitland, on reasons giveiCwhe- 
 therit would not be proper to dissolve the present 
 Commons House of Assembly, and issue writs for 
 a new electiori of representatives of the people of 
 this province. 
 
 6 //i. Resolved, That a Committee be nominated 
 to draft the above mentioned Petitions, and report 
 the same to this Convention. 
 
 1th. Resolved, That, whatever be the conse¬ 
 quence of these resolutions, and of any temporary 
 change of procedure, it is the duty of this Con¬ 
 vention to devise measures by which the great 
 cause in which its members and supporters are en¬ 
 gaged, shall be maintained ; and that no dissolu¬ 
 tion of the present system of representing the 
 WILL of so numerous a body of people, as°have 
 already declared for the cause, shall take place, 
 till the inquiry into the state of this province has 
 been realized, and those beneficial objects obtain¬ 
 ed, which are absolutely essential to the welLbe- 
 ing of the province. 
 
 %th. Resolved, That this Convention, the better 
 to denote the purity and unity of its object, as well 
 as distinguish it from Conventions formed to con¬ 
 trol and command public affairs, shall be denom¬ 
 inated “The Upper Canadian Convention of 
 Friends TO Inquiry.” 
 
 9//i. Resolved, Phat to facilitate internal man¬ 
 agement, and to decide on all matters of mere ar¬ 
 rangement, two branch Conventions shall be form¬ 
 ed—one to be constituted by representatives from 
 the five upper districts, viz ; the Home, Gore, Ni¬ 
 agara, London and Western, to meet at Ancaster 
 —the other to be constituted by representatives 
 from the five lower districts, viz ; the Newcastle, 
 Midland, Johnstown, Eastern and Ottowa, to meet 
 at Kingston. 
 
 10 //t. Resolved, That the representatives now 
 here convened, do, as they belong respectively to 
 each of these branches, form themselves into two 
 Committees, each to choose its own Treasurer and 
 Secretary—to fix on a certain day tor the first 
 branch Conventional meeting, respectively at An¬ 
 caster and Kingston, and to report to-morrow, to 
 this Convention, as to these appointments :—that 
 future branch meetings be held either by adjourn¬ 
 ment, or as may be announced by the Secretaries, 
 in the newspapers, or otherwise, and upon the re¬ 
 quisition of three district representatives; but no 
 branch Conventional meeting to be considered re- 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 ^rular, without the presence of four district repre¬ 
 sentatives. 
 
 lU/t. Resolved^ That the Treasurers of districts 
 shall, if called upon, surrender their funds, or any 
 required part thereof, to the Treasurers of their 
 respective branch Conventions, on an order signed 
 by the Chairman of any regularly constituted meet¬ 
 ing of such branch Conventions. 
 
 12 /A. Resolved, That a Report of all proceed¬ 
 ings of the branch Conventions, shall be mutually 
 exchanged by their respective Secretaries, each 
 dispatching his report on the first Monday of every 
 month, and that further correspondence shall take 
 place,if necessary. 
 
 I5th, Resolved, That, as the district of Niagara 
 has hitherto borne all charges in bringing forward 
 this business, it shall be a first consideration of the 
 «pper branch Convention, to settle up all charges 
 out of the funds generally collected within its 
 range, and then to draw on the Treasurer of the 
 Sower branch Convention for one half of the whole. 
 
 14/^ Resolved, That the branch Conventions 
 shall endeavour to get the people of those town¬ 
 ships, where no representatives, &c. have been 
 chosen, to meet and still to choose such represen¬ 
 tatives, togetlicr with Clerks and Committee men ; 
 but if Uiis cannot be brought about universally, 
 then it will be desirable to have an agent or agents 
 appointed in each unrepresented township, that 
 any one or more persons may have opportunity of 
 aiding and assisting the general measures, with 
 their names and contributions. 
 
 Ibth. Resolved, That, in case it shall be deemed 
 expedient by the branch Conventions, that the ge¬ 
 neral Convention shall assemble at York, for any 
 particular or unforeseen matter of deliberation ; 
 that then the branch Conventions shall, by corres¬ 
 pondence, fix the day, and have the same adverti¬ 
 sed in all the newspapers of the province, besides 
 advising each individual member, by letter. 
 - 
 
 Motion, by Mr. Washburn—That every member 
 of this Convention, desirous of making any mo¬ 
 tion, shall commit the same to writing, in order 
 that it may be entered in the Journals, by the Se¬ 
 cretary, in due order—seconded by Mr. R. Kerr— 
 Tuesday, 7th July, laiC— Carried, 
 
 (addititional.) 
 
 Resolved, 4/L That the monies received for the 
 purpose of sending Commissioners to England with 
 the Petition for the redress of grievances, be, by 
 district Treasurers, remitted to Messrs. Thomp¬ 
 son &L Detlor, at Kingston, to be applied by the 
 Committee, in furtherance of measures for send- 
 fng home said Petition, through the medium of the 
 House of Assembly. 
 
 hlh. That the proceedings of this meeting be 
 published, and that the Convention do now adjourn, 
 till summoned to meet again, at such time as the 
 Committee shall direct. 
 
 [Signed] D. WASHBURN. 
 
 Seconded by Robert Kerr. July 1th, t818. 
 
 - (received,) 
 
 Moved, by Mr. Drake, and seconded by Mr. Hawley 
 —That Mr. Washburn’s proposals, as well as Mr. 
 Gourlay’s, be left to a select Committee, composed of 
 three or more of the gentlemen present, and represeiU- 
 ing the several districts throughout the province, ft is 
 J'arlher moved, that Messrs. John Clark, Hob’t Hamilton 
 and Tho’s Coleman, do act as a Committee ; and that 
 all such hirtlier papers, coming either from Mr. Wash- 
 
 bum or Mr. Gourlay, be reedved by them, and that 
 the said Committee shall mdte such report as they 
 deem most expedient—the sime, however, to be laid 
 before the members of the Canvention, for their con- 
 Eideration. 
 
 Tuesday, 1th July, J8I8. 
 
 (Carried —Mr. Drake being tdded to the Committee.) 
 
 J R- DRAKE. 
 
 I DAVIS HAWLEY. 
 
 Moved —That every member of this Convention, ha¬ 
 ving written communication, either as an address or 
 resolve, shall submit the sam? to the Chairman. 
 
 Carried. 
 
 [Signed] 
 
 5 THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 
 I Seonded by R. DRAKE. 
 
 Resolved, That we do nov adjourn until 9 o’clock 
 to-morrow, unless the select Committee shall desire 
 ■ ( D. WASHBURN, 
 
 meeting sooner. ro* n ^ D. 
 
 July 7, ms. [Signed] ^ 
 
 DRAKE. 
 
 IVednaday, July Mh, 1818, 
 Which day the Convenion being constituted, 
 by Richard Beasley, Esq. tiking the Chair, the se¬ 
 lect Committee gave in thefollowing report on the 
 business submitted to thur consideration—Mr. 
 Coleman first reading an iddress to the meeting, 
 on the same subject. 
 
 The Committee, composedof Messrs. Clark, Drake, 
 Hamilton and Coleman, repat, that the causes stated 
 by Mr. Gourlay, as laid behre the Committee, are 
 such as induce them to rec(mmend to their brother 
 members, that the proposals >f Mr. Gourlay be adop¬ 
 ted, in preference to those of Mr. Washburn—the ma¬ 
 terial ditference being only tlat of presenting the Peti¬ 
 tion to the Prince Regent, ihiough Sir Peregrine Mait¬ 
 land, instead of the present Ibuseof Assembly, which 
 would, by adopting Mr. WAsiburn’s measures, cause 
 much delay, and deviate fron those principles which 
 we have, and do now profess—that of petitioning the 
 Prince, direct, from the subjeit. 
 
 f ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 j THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 [Signed] ^ ^ drake, 
 
 UCHN CLARK. 
 
 Mr. Washburn’s and Mr. Courlay’s Resolutions be¬ 
 ing read over, the latter wen generally approved of; 
 but a proposal being made, tlat they should be read a 
 second time, and passed seierally, this course was 
 adopted. 
 
 Mr. Robert Kcrr^voted aganst all the Resolutions ; 
 Mr. VV’ashburn voted against dl but the 8tli: the rest 
 of the Convention agreed to ilie Resolutions. 
 
 Mr. Washburn moved —That the resolutions drawn 
 up and submitted by him, be ecorded by the Secreta¬ 
 ry, on the Journals, imrnediaely after those adopted 
 by the majority of the Conveition. 
 
 S WASHBURN, 
 L^gnedj ^ Seconded by R. KERR. 
 
 Uednesday, 8th Jidij, 1818. Carried. 
 
 Dr. Sumner moves —That VMlliam Kerr and George 
 Hamilton, Esquires, be admitted to the sitting of this 
 Convention, and have the pri\ilege of expressing their 
 opinions on all subjects brougU before us—but not to 
 vote. Seconded by Mr. Haw by, and carried. 
 
 Moved, by Mr. W in. Kerr—Fhat Mr. Reuben Pres¬ 
 ton, representative for the lowisbip of Vaughan, Home 
 district, be admitted to the siting of this Convention, 
 and have the privilege of expressing his opinion on all 
 subjects ; but not to vote. Sjconded by Mr. Wash¬ 
 burn, and carried. 
 
 Mr. Washburn moved —Tlial the Reports and Reso¬ 
 lutions of the select Committee, chosen yesterday, be 
 recorded by the Secretary; bit not jidopled by this 
 
 Cojivention. 
 JjOSt . 
 
 [Signed] | 
 
 D. VASHBURN^ 
 Seconded by R. J. KERR. 
 
 C 
 
18 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 A letter from Mr. Stuart, of Colchester, being read 
 to the Convention, by Mr. Drake, Mr. Gourlay mo¬ 
 ved, seconded by Mr. Drake, that the thanks of this 
 Convention be tendered to Mr. Stuart, of Colchester, 
 for his friendly and able communication—the same to 
 be conveyed by a letter from the Secretary of this 
 Convention. Carried. 
 
 Moved —That a Committee be appointed to draw up 
 an Address to Sir Peregrine Maitland, according to the 
 resolutions approved of this day, and that Mr. Peter¬ 
 son, Mr. Drake, Mr. Martin, Mr. Gourlay and Mr. 
 Coleman, do constitute the above Committee. Carried. 
 
 ; ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 
 I Seconded by JOHN CLARK. 
 
 [Signed] 
 
 Movedj by Mr. Gourlay, seconded and canned —That 
 the representatives here present, from the Newcastle, 
 Midland and Johnstown districts, do constitute a 
 Committee, for the purpose specified in a Resolution 
 of this day, carried, viz: to choose a Secretary and 
 Treasurer for the lower branch Convention—also, to 
 fix a day for the first meeting of the said branch Con¬ 
 vention—such appointments to be reported to-morrow, 
 lo this Convention. Moved and caniedy the same, for 
 the upper branch Convention. 
 
 Moved —That this Convention do adjourn till eleven 
 o’clock to-morrow morning. 
 
 TQ. 5 ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 
 [bignedj < p^uL PETERSON. 
 
 Wednesdayy July 8thy 1818. Agi'eed. 
 
 Yorky Thursdayy 9th Juhjy 1818. 
 
 The Convention being constituted, by Mr. Beas¬ 
 ley taking the Chair, the following Report was read. 
 
 Yoky 90i Juhjy 1818 . 
 
 The Committee, appointed yesterday, to draw out 
 an Address to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, 
 and to his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, now 
 submit, that the Address, with some alterations, which 
 appeared in the pamphlet of the Niagara district, may 
 do for the first; and they herewith offer a draft of an 
 Address to Sir Peregrine Maitland, for consideration. 
 
 ( THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 PAUL PETERSON, 
 ROBERT GOURLAY, 
 
 R. DRAKE, 
 
 C. MARTIN. 
 
 To Sir Peregrine Maitlandy K. C. B.y Lieutenant 
 Governor of Upper Canaday ^•c. ^c. 
 
 May it please your Excellency : 
 
 In my own name, and that of thousands of the 
 inhabitants of this province, which you are desti¬ 
 ned to govern, I beg leave to address your Excel¬ 
 lency, dutifully and affectionately—We would say, 
 that the people of this province only want your 
 confidence, the more to deserve it. 
 
 Surely a people who, for three years, withstood 
 every assault of an insidious, a daring and re¬ 
 vengeful enemy, merely for the maintenance of 
 British sovereignty, need not dwell on expressions 
 of loyalty, or be anxious about tests of respect for 
 him who is sent to represent the Royal presence 
 among them. On these subjects, there can be but 
 one undivided sentiment; and on the present oc¬ 
 casion, that sentiment must be proudly elate with 
 the additional consideration, that he who now 
 comes ta occupy the highest dignity amongst us, 
 was tutored under the immortal Wellington, and 
 
 has, for his friend and adviser, a man no less dear 
 to the lovers of rational liberty. Yes, Sir, we 
 will he frank in confessing, that your near connex¬ 
 ion with the Duke of Richmond, and the arrival 
 of that great man in these provinces, as Governor- 
 in-Chief, generates in our breasts sensations which 
 no other fortune could have inspired. 
 
 Upper Canada had, during the last twenty years, 
 many Governors; but these twenty years only 
 gave experience of disappointment, in the admi¬ 
 nistration of civil affairs : these twenty years had 
 almost extinguished in our breasts every hope of 
 good, from the change of Governors ; but we now 
 feel the influence of a latent spark—we are now 
 sanguine in looking forward to more cheering 
 times, and to the possession of every advantage 
 which the British constitution has, so liberally, 
 to bestow. 
 
 The same hands, from which you receive this 
 Address, will present you with a printed detail of 
 '^Principles and Proceedings,” which, for some 
 months past, have been agitating the public mind, 
 in this province. It will require but a glance to 
 be assured, that serious causes must exist for such 
 agitation; and you will find, that the most anx¬ 
 ious desire of the great majority of those whom 
 you have been sent to govern, is, that inquiry may 
 be made into the state of this province, by which 
 every real cause for agitation may cease. 
 
 Your Excellency will find, from the Journals of 
 the Provincial Parliament, that the subject of in¬ 
 quiry has been repeatedly brought forward in the 
 Commons House of Assembly ; and you will find, 
 on the same record, but too good reasons for de¬ 
 spair of full success in that quarter. The Provin¬ 
 cial Parliament is not, indeed, competent, with its 
 best endeavors, to inquire into every matter which 
 retards the improvement of Upper Canada, nor has 
 it authority to correct every evil. Those who now 
 address your Excellency, being aware of this, and 
 worn out with disappointment, had resolved to 
 send home a commission, praying his Royal High¬ 
 ness the Prince Regent, to cause inquiry immedi¬ 
 ately to be made, that the Imperial Parliament 
 might proceed to interfere, upon information so¬ 
 lemnly obtained. Circumstances induce them 
 now to delay this measure, and to entreat your 
 Excellency to summon, with all convenient speed, 
 the Provincial Parliament, that this grand measure, 
 big with the fate of Canada, may yet originate and 
 proceed from the most desirable source—from the 
 regularly constituted representation of the people. 
 
 In little more than two months, the weighty la¬ 
 bors of harvest will be over; and should Parlia¬ 
 ment be in session before the end of September, 
 every necessary step could be taken there, to pre¬ 
 pare the way for inquiry in the Imperial Parlia¬ 
 ment, at an early stage of its next session. This 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 19 
 
 is what we anxiously desire; but if your Excel¬ 
 lency shall see fit, the better to accomplish the 
 desired object, to dissolve the present Commons 
 House of Assembly, and issue writs for assembling 
 a new set of representatives, we would more par¬ 
 ticularly rejoice, and be greatly more confident of 
 success. 
 
 We must, with shame, acknowledge to your 
 Excellency, that the inhabitants of Upper Canada 
 have, hitherto, paid too little regard to the charac¬ 
 ter of those whom they have chosen to represent 
 them in Parliament; and most unworthy persons 
 have sat in Assembly. Not only has this been 
 the case, but, from an indifference to the course of 
 public affairs—from a heedlessness of the people, 
 at large, to Parliamentary proceedings, the most 
 slovenly habits have been confirmed, and the most 
 indecent irregularities witnessed. We shall not 
 tire your Excellency with a recital, but of a few 
 instances in point; nor shall we go back to quote 
 the most shocking facts; we shall only refer to a 
 few transactions of the present Parliament. It 
 has sat two sessions. At the opening of the first 
 session, when matter of vital import lay for consi¬ 
 deration-even just grounds for impeachment of 
 the then Governor—day after day was occupied 
 with a squabble about the conduct of an individual 
 out of doors—a subject altogether below the no¬ 
 tice of a grave Assembly. Bye and bye, the an¬ 
 nual supply was voted, and put at the disposal of 
 the Governor, who, by arbitrary acts, had thwarted 
 the laws of the land ; and then, at an extraordin¬ 
 ary late season. Resolutions were brought for¬ 
 ward, in the teeth of the Governor’s known senti¬ 
 ments, and seemingly only to provoke his displea¬ 
 sure. The Resolutions were excellent; but they 
 were wofully mistimed. The Governor provoked, 
 forgot himself—forgot that solemnity which, at 
 home, is ever particularly regarded : he went up 
 to Parliament, without the appearance of state— 
 without the ceremony of notice, or due consulta¬ 
 tion, and hastily put a period to the session. 
 
 The Parliament was again summoned in Febru¬ 
 ary last. It was expected that some degree of 
 spirit would have been manifested, in shew of dis¬ 
 pleasure for insulted dignity—it was expected that 
 the consideration of Resolutions, of high impor¬ 
 tance to the public weal, would be instantly resu¬ 
 med. The conduct of this session, however, fell 
 even lower than before. An offer of recompence 
 for.sufferers in war, unhappily introduced into the 
 speech from the Throne, and only tending to in¬ 
 sult the feelings of a large body of people, was 
 replied to, in most disgusting terms of acquies¬ 
 cence, by the representatives of these very people; 
 while the able Resolutions, brought forward at the 
 close of the preceding session, were left neglected, 
 as if in acknowledgment, that the Assembly had 
 
 been deservedly chastised for their production, A 
 series of trifling measures filled up the main portion 
 of the session ; the Legislative Council, ng doubt 
 encouraged by the low and dastardly conduct of 
 members of Assembly, assumed rights, which had 
 long been denied, even to British Peers; the an¬ 
 nual supply was not even passed; and, finally, 
 members stole off home, so as not to leave a House 
 to hear the speech of dismissal, which the Adminis¬ 
 trator delivered, as if in contempt, from the chair. 
 
 The people at large have at last been roused to 
 a just sense of all this trifling and indecency. 
 They see their property reduced a full half, from 
 the mal-administration of good laws: they see 
 prosperity completely checked ; they witness dis¬ 
 content and poverty, under the most genial clime, 
 and rooted in the most fertile soil i they anticipate 
 subjection to a foreign power, if war should again 
 be waged : they dread a separation from the mo¬ 
 ther country, even without war, which they would 
 most grievously lament: they wish to make an 
 effort at recovery from all this disgrace and dan¬ 
 ger : they entreat your instant and earnest aid to 
 assist them. 
 
 Should a new Parliament be called, we are as¬ 
 sured, that notoriously bad characters would no 
 longer be chosen to represent the people: we are 
 assured, that the most respectable men would 
 now come forward as candidates, who have hi¬ 
 therto disdained to sit in a degraded House : we 
 are assured, that all, both the people, by watching 
 their representatives, and the representatives them¬ 
 selves, would be alert and zealous in the perform¬ 
 ance of duty ; we are assured, that a new and 
 better era would commence. 
 
 I move that the heads of the address (now read) to 
 Sir Peregrine Maitland, be adopted by this Convention. 
 
 rc JT S ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 [Signed] I j CLARK. 
 
 Thursdayy 9th Julyy 1818. Carried, 
 
 Mr. Washburn, protests against the adoption of the 
 address to Sir Peregrine Maitland, now read. 
 
 [Signed] D. WASHBURN. 
 Yorky 9th Juhjy 1818. 
 
 I protest against the proceedings of this Copyention, 
 in adopting the heads of an address to Sir Peregrine 
 Maitland, just read. [Signed] 
 
 July 9thy 1818. ROBERT J. KERR. 
 
 Movedy That Mr. Beasley, Mr. Clark, Mr. Geo. Ha¬ 
 milton, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Chisholm, Mr. Drake and 
 Mr. Wm. Kerr, be a permanent Committee of Manage^ 
 menty after the adjournment of this Convention, and 
 till its next meeting :—that they, or any four of them, 
 shall have power to constitute the Deputation to Sir 
 Peregrine Maitland ; and that they also finish the 
 wording and style of the Petitions to the Prince Re¬ 
 gent and Sir Peregrine Maitland, which the Chairman, 
 Mr. Beasley, shall have power to sign for this Con¬ 
 vention, after its adjournment. 
 
 {Signed] 
 9th Julyy 1818. 
 
 ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 R. DRAKE. 
 
 Carried, 
 
20 
 
 CHRONICLES OP CANADA. 
 
 In contormity to an appointment of yesterday, 
 the representatives from the different districts, viz : 
 the P^ewcastle, Midland and Johnstown, bein^ a 
 committee, do appoint C. Thomson, Secretary, 
 for the lower branch Convention; and Messrs! 
 Thomson and Detlor, Treasurers ; and that the 
 first Saturday of August, be appointed for the 
 meeting of representatives of the lower branch 
 Convention, at the house of Robert Walker in 
 Kingston, at 2 o’clock, P. M. ’ 
 
 ( TUG’S COLEMAN, 
 PAUL PETERSON, 
 JACOB W. MYERS, 
 DAVIS HAWLEY, 
 NATHAN HICOK. 
 
 I nursaayy July 9th, 1818. 
 
 pd each of the members, any other day of meet¬ 
 ing, not beyond the first Monday of March, 1819, 
 such notice being published and written before the 
 first day of January, 1819. 
 
 rqirrnpHI 5 I>KAKE, 
 Carried. [Sipneq] j CHIS HOLM. 
 
 Moved, That should there be no call of Parlia¬ 
 ment, or dissolution, before the first of September, 
 nor any hope of the session commencing before 
 the middle of October, then it shall be th^duty of 
 the branch Conventions, to have petitions drawn 
 up, and signed all over their respective districts, 
 both to the Prince Regent and the Commons House 
 of the Imperial Parliament, to be sent home with¬ 
 out delay, by a Commission, consisting of two 
 persons chosen by the upper, and two by”the low¬ 
 er branch Convention : the Secretary of this ge- 
 
 R. DRAKE, 
 
 Wm. CHISHOLM. 
 
 York, July dth, 1818, ooiiveniion : me secretary ot this ge- 
 
 Agreeable to a Resolution passed yesterday for Convention to accompany, and be the Secre- 
 tlie purpose of choosing a Treasurer and Secretary Commission. 
 
 tricts,viz!-lNiagara!Gl"re^,*LLd^o*n^^^^ ll’*^ permanent Committee shall 
 
 Home districts—the Committee do annoint Afnn ■ ^ general meeting of this Con- 
 
 day the 20th inst., as a proper day to meet A^ advertisement, and written notice to 
 
 caster, at Newton’s Inni 10 o’clock A M ’-fnA a' f* member, signed by five of the said Commit- 
 nominate Col, Richard BeasW V ^ • fSianedl 5 DRAKE. 
 
 George Hamilton. Esq!^, LJ</rV^'^ ' ^ Cumcrf. _t ^VM. CHISHOLM. 
 
 fWM, CHISHOLM, 
 r„. ,, -'OHN CLARK, 
 
 [Signed] ^ CYRUS SUMNER 
 CALVIN MARTIN, 
 (RODERICK DRAKE. 
 
 arr'^rfn’lBm ‘ r”"'*! i^efegfie^Maitland not 
 
 TW . 1 1.^® P®"'*'*’ ‘•’q members of the 
 
 Deputation to forward the Address to his Roval 
 
 England, there to 
 
 Moved, That a duplicate of all communications 
 which pass between the branch Conventions, be, 
 at the same time, sent to the Secretary of this 
 Convention, to be by him made known to the per¬ 
 manent Committee. 
 
 ^ ^ rSicrnedl 5 ROBERT GOURLAY, 
 
 Carried. ^ CLAR K. 
 
 Moved, That the permanent Committee shall 
 publish in the newspapers, or otherwise, the whole, 
 or what part of the transactions of this Conven- 
 
 e-—o ..icijiijceitegent, to England, there to :• uie iransaciions or this Conven- 
 
 presented, as to them shall seem proper-~either I “ Friends to Inquiry,’’ 
 
 ‘'‘® public office competent to f„V'bf,"' semn fit; and that any person 
 p ive Petitions to the Throne. whatever, shall have a right to obtain extracts 
 
 _ f T¥ YT A •ftrv-'v _ _ irnm tllA r^Mirnnl.:^ ir% __A 
 
 at 
 
 receive 
 
 [Signed] \ R; HAMILTON, 
 ri„v .1 r , , < TOGO’S COLEAIAN, 
 
 Thursday , My 9lh, UU. Carried. 
 
 a’riiThI’ Convention do adjourn till 9 
 
 o clock to-morrow morning, 
 
 [Signed] 5 R- HAMILTON, 
 
 . ? CYRUS SU MNER. 
 
 - Eo/*, Friday, My 10/A, 1818. 
 
 tion bVreTtl’ ‘''® uP ‘be Conven- 
 
 ®® by appointment of the Chairman 
 
 [Signed] 5 X^IO’S COLEMAN, 
 10/A My, 1818. DAVIS HAWLEY. 
 
 - ' ~ --o*'- vLTunii v-Aiittcia 
 
 from the Journals, in whole or part, on offerin^r a 
 competent remuneration for trouble, to the Secure- 
 
 Carried. [ S'gned] ^ PAUL ‘pET ERSON. 
 
 A/o/ion, Tliat the Secretary of the Convention, 
 W. J. Kerr, Esq., be indemnified for stationary 
 made use of, and other incidental expenses, in his 
 correspondence, and other duties of his office. 
 
 r ■ j [Siirned] ^ ""“'R CHISHOLM, 
 
 Carried. JjL^^eRSON. 
 
 A/owrf That Mr. Wm. Kerr, Mr, Geo. Hainil- 
 and Mr. Preston, accept the thanks of this 
 Convention, for their assistance during the sitting. 
 
 r ■ j [Siirnedl ^ •’‘^“N CLARK, 
 Carried. LO'^neoj ^ (-q^EMAN. 
 
 minutes of each day’s meeting were then 
 read severally, and signed by the Chatrman 
 
 .Voivrf 'That Robert Gourlay, Esq. receive the 
 
 thanks of this Convention, for his able and manly 
 
 ,, ---- P;;®'''®“"S ‘be general welfare of the 
 
 nr u "l” “•‘'’ertisement be published f ®''"®f' R',’’ b'® assiduous attention at this 
 
 morn ?'n ‘'’® branch Conventions, for the f„®"''®"“®"-®"‘' ‘bat they hold themselves bound 
 
 . ■ ‘ 
 
 »«, "....ins o-w. 
 
 to support the measures adopted by the Nia<rara 
 Committee, submitted by him to them. ° 
 
 S THO’S COLEMAN, 
 
 \ JOHN CLARK. 
 
 see reasons for the samVand'bv ad'iJeriurm°"f n '^'bat opportunity has been given to Mr. 
 
 and writing, as before agreed upL not iV ir.'] Jrth'h '■®‘ ‘be letter which, 
 
 S upon, notify to all with his signature, appeared in the Upper Canada 
 

 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 SI 
 
 Gazette, of the Sd of July, and also in the Niagara 
 Spectator of the same week, reflecting on the cha¬ 
 racter of Mr. Robert Goutlay ; and tJiat he has not 
 been able to bring the members forward a single 
 reason, sufficient to convince this Convention, of 
 the propriety of a publication so strange and un¬ 
 natural : That a letter be written by the Chairman, 
 to each of the township representatives, request¬ 
 ing them immediately to meet and choose another 
 person, to represent them on all occasions connec¬ 
 ted with the business of these meetings, and who 
 may appear for them, if possible, at the meeting of 
 the branch Convention of the Friends to Inquiry, 
 at Kingston, the first Saturday of August next, 
 at the house of Mr. Walker, Innkeeper, at 2 o’¬ 
 clock, p. M. r^. „ s R- drake, 
 
 Carried. LMgnedJ ^ CHIS HOLM. 
 
 Moved, That the thanks of this Convention be 
 presented to the Chairman, for his most able and 
 assiduous attention to the business of this Conven¬ 
 tion. S RORT HAMILTON, 
 
 Carried, ] JOHN CLARK. 
 
 Moved, That this Convention do adjourn till the 
 first Monday of February, 1819 ; or till such time 
 as may be advertised, according to the Resolutions 
 of this Convention. 
 
 TQ. ,, THO’S COLEMAN, 
 Carried. l&ignecij rqr’T HA MILTON. 
 
 Correct copy of the Minutes of the Convention. 
 [Signed] RICHARD BEASLEY, Chairman. 
 
 Esquires. 
 
 Liowcr Branch Convention. 
 
 At a meeting of the Lower Branch Convention, 
 held this day, August 1,1818, at Kingston, the fol¬ 
 lowing members being present, viz ;— 
 
 DAVIS HAWLEY, 
 
 THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 
 DANIEL WASHBURN, 
 
 PAUL PETERSON, 
 
 THOMAS D. SANFORD, 
 
 N. IlICOK, 
 
 Davis Hawley, Esq. w’as called to the chair.— 
 The Minutes of the Upper Branch Convention 
 were read, and the following Resolutions passed. 
 
 1 st. Moved, That Mr. Thomas D. Sanford be 
 received into the Lower Branch Convention, for 
 the district of Newcastle, upon his honor being 
 pledged, that he has been chosen by the township 
 representatives, in the room of Robert J. Kerr. 
 
 (Signed) THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 Carried. Seconded, PAUL PETERSON. 
 
 2 d. Moved, That the Secretary of the Lower 
 Branch Convention write to the Treasurers of the 
 districts of Newcastle and Johnstown, requesting 
 them to pay into the hands of the Treasurer of the 
 Lower Branch Convention, the respective funds 
 collected for the purpose of carrying into effect the 
 proceedings of the General Convention, held at 
 York, 6lh July, 1818. 
 
 (Signed) THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 Carried. Seconded, PAUL PETERSON, 
 
 3 d. Moved, That Saturday the 29th of August, 
 at 2 o’clock, P. M. be the day appointed for town¬ 
 ship meetings, where there has been no meetings 
 held, or representatives appointed ; and that the 
 township representatives do meet on Monday the 
 31st, at the same hour, to choose district repre¬ 
 
 sentatives ; and that the district representatives so 
 appointed, do meet the next Branch and General 
 Convention. 
 
 (Signed) THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 Carried. Seconded, T. D. SANFOR D. 
 
 4th, Moved, That a number of public Notices 
 be distributed by the Secretary, amongst the in¬ 
 habitants of townships where there has been no 
 meetings held, of the third resolve of the Lower 
 Branch Convention. 
 
 (Signed) DAVIS HAWLEY, 
 
 Carried. Seconded, NATHAN H ICOK. 
 
 5th. Moved. That this Branch Convention do 
 adjourn until a further day of meeting be appoint¬ 
 ed by the Secretary of this Convention, on the re¬ 
 quisition of three of the district representatives, 
 agreeable to the lllh Resolution of the Conven¬ 
 tion. (Signed) THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 
 Seconded, DAVIS HAWLEY. 
 Carried. Adjourned. 
 
 . Upper Branch Convention. 
 
 20/^1 My, 1818. 
 
 At a meeting of the Upper Branch Convention, 
 held this day, at Newton’s Inn, village of Ancas- 
 ter, the following members present, viz : 
 
 RICHARD BEASLEY, 
 
 WILLIAM CHISHOLM, 
 
 JOHN CLARK, } Esquires. 
 
 ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 
 RODERICK DRAKE, 
 
 The meeting w'as regularly constituted, by call¬ 
 ing Richard Beasley, Esq. to the Chair. 
 
 Moved: That the Chairman write to the Trea¬ 
 surers of each of the following districts, viz: to 
 Mr. Adams, for Niagara; Mr. Hamilton, for 
 Gore, and Mr. Prideiix Girty, for the Western dis¬ 
 trict, to send him statements of accounts, and the 
 balances now in their hands ; also, to Mr. Calvin 
 Martin, (representative for the London district,) 
 desiring him to request of the Treasurer of the 
 London district, to do the same. 
 
 (Signed) JOHN CLARK, 
 
 Seconded by ROBERT HAMILTON. 
 Carried, R. B. Ch’n. B. C. 
 
 Moved, That all the charges incurred by the Ni¬ 
 agara district, be stated in account, by the Secre¬ 
 tary, and be handed to the Treasurer of the Up¬ 
 per Branch Convention, that he may discharge the 
 same out of the general fund, as soon as deposited. 
 
 (Signed) JOHN CLARK, 
 
 Seconded by WM. CHISHOLM. 
 
 Adopted, R. B. Ch’n. _ 
 
 Moved, That Saturday the 29th of August, at 2 
 o’clock, affernoon, be the time appointed for the 
 different townships meeting, where no meeting has 
 yet been held, to choose representatives, clerks, 
 kc. and that the township representatives then 
 chosen, do meet on Monday 31st, at the same 
 hour, to choose district representatives. 
 
 (Signed) ROBERT HAMILTON, 
 
 Seconded by RODERICK DRAKE. 
 
 Carried, R. B. Ch’n. 
 
 Moved, That the Secretary of this Upper 
 Branch Convention, do write and forward an ad¬ 
 dress to the inhabitants of the several townships, 
 yet unrepresented, recommending that they do 
 hold township meetings, and give their support to 
 
 
 
Si 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 petitioning the Prince Regent, &c. relative to the 
 «tate of the province, and inviting their district re¬ 
 presentatives to attend the next Branch Conven¬ 
 tional meeting. 
 
 (Signed) RODERICK DRAKE, 
 
 Seconded by JOHN CLARK. 
 
 Carried, R. B. Ch’n. 
 
 Moved, That the Secretarv of this Branch Con¬ 
 vention do write to Frederick Yeward, Esq ac- 
 ^uainting him, that the sending home a Conimis- 
 Sion to England, being delayed, it was conceived 
 unnec^sary to lay the papers concerning the In¬ 
 dian affairs, before the Convention at York • but 
 that the same shall not be forcroiten. ' 
 
 (Signed) JOHN CLARK, 
 
 Seconded by WM. CHISHOLM, 
 
 <^rned, R. B. Ch^n. 
 
 J^oved That this Convention do adjourn until a 
 further day of meeting be appointed by the Secre¬ 
 tary of this Convention, on the requisition of three 
 istrict representatives, according- to the 10th re¬ 
 solution of the General ConventiSn. 
 
 (Signed) R. DRAKE, 
 
 Seconded by WM. CHISHOLM. 
 
 Carried, R. R. Ch’n. 
 
 Axru* 1 - j 1 * July, 1818 . 
 
 k permanent Committee of inan- 
 
 Ancaster, present, Richard 
 Chisholm, John Clark, 
 
 George Hamilton, and Roderick Drake. Esqrs. 
 
 ’ That they would best discharge the 
 ?niTdd^V^“’T •’y thefollow- 
 
 gara and Midland districts. 
 
 To His Royal Highness, George, 
 Prince of Wales, Regent of the 
 United Kingdom of Great Bri¬ 
 tain and Ireland, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 The humble address of Richard Beasdet, Es¬ 
 quire, Chairman of the Upper Canadian Conven- 
 tion of Friends to ENqumr : • 
 
 May it please Yovr Royal Highness— 
 
 In the name of thousands of the inhabitants of 
 Upper Canada, it is my province to testify the du¬ 
 tiful and affectionate regard which they bear to 
 your Royal person and dignity; and, in the ut¬ 
 most sincerity, I may declare my confident belief, 
 that the Royal Sceptre is not swayed over more 
 
 loyal subjects than those who dwell in this distant 
 colony. 
 
 Under peculiar circumstances of difficulty, dis¬ 
 appointment and distress, these loyal subjects had 
 reso ve on sending home a Commission to Emr- 
 land, humbly to entreat, before the Throne of their 
 Sovereign, the immediate interference of the Roy¬ 
 al authority. The loyal subjects, on farther rl 
 flectton. have determined on a change of measures, 
 or, at least to delay the execution of what was at 
 first proposed. Deeply impressed, however, with 
 the vast importance of the subject, as well to them¬ 
 selves as to the general interests of the British 
 empire, they have deemed jt proper that their in¬ 
 
 tentions should be made known to your Royal 
 Highness; and, with this view, I am desired 
 to annex to this address, draffs of two others, 
 which were in preparation; and which had so' 
 far received the approbation of inhabitants of 
 the two most populous districts of this province. 
 
 Should your Royal Highness condescend to pe¬ 
 ruse these documents, they will be found to con¬ 
 tain strong assertions; but when investigation 
 takes place, these assertions can be proved to be 
 no less true than they are strong. 
 
 It is now the desire of the loyal subjects, on 
 whose behalf I address your Royal Highness, that 
 the Parliament of Upper Canada should be called 
 together for the more special purpose of making 
 inquiry into the state of this province, and for ha¬ 
 ving a Commission appointed to go home with the 
 result, in such time as the same may be laid before 
 the Imperial Parliament, at an early period of its 
 next ensuing session. Should such desire be gra- 
 Hfied, this most necessary inquiry will commence 
 in the manner most creditable to the Legislative 
 authorities of the province, and will afford the 
 fullest satisfaction to those whom I represent. 
 Lest it should not be so determined, I am desired 
 by my constituents, most humbly to entreat that 
 your Royal Highness will keep in view the great 
 objects set forth in the annexed draffs; and, in the 
 event of a Commission approaching the Throne 
 from the body of His Majesty’s loyal subjects in 
 Upper Canada, that the Royal ear may be turned 
 towards them with such love and confidence as 
 may be expected, by a people who have shed their 
 blood, and sacrificed every worldly comfort, in the 
 cause of British sovereignty. 
 
 Entreating your Royal Highness graciously to 
 accept every consideration of regard which is due, 
 by subjects to the Son and Representative of their 
 Sovereign, 
 
 I have the high honor to subscribe, this first day 
 of August, in the year one thousand eight hun- 
 dred and eighteen. 
 
 For myself and others. 
 
 consulting with regard to 
 the address to Sir Peregrine Maitland, found that 
 le anguage may be altered to advantage, and re- 
 
 A. Saturday, 1st, 
 
 ^ A both this and the former may be en¬ 
 grossed and signed. 
 
 further resolved, that an Ap¬ 
 pendix should be added to the publication of the 
 transactions of the General Convention, containing 
 we minutes of the Committee, and of this Branch 
 Convention, the Midland district address, minutes 
 ol district meetings, with the names of all officers 
 
 bSerpVbUblT''’'’ 
 
 For the Comm ittee, W M. J. KERR. ' 
 
 St, Catharines, \st Avgust, 1818. 
 
 This day the permanent Committee having met, 
 
25 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 this place, present, Richard Beasley, George 
 Hamilton, Roderick Drake, Wm. Kerr, and John 
 Clark, Esquires, the petition to Sir Peregrine Mait¬ 
 land being reviewed and altered, the same was en¬ 
 grossed and signed by Mr. Beasley. The petition 
 to the Prince Regent, was also engrossed, signed, 
 and ordered to be transmitted to England, for pre¬ 
 sentation. 
 
 It was then proposed and agreed to that Mr. Beas¬ 
 ley should write to the Right Hon. Lord Erskine, 
 requesting the favor of his Lordship to present the 
 petition to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent: 
 also, that Mr. Beasley’s letter, and all transactions 
 up to this time, be published, in conformity with 
 the principles of the friends to enquiry. 
 
 WM. KERR, Secretary, 
 
 The following are the alterations, &ic. made on 
 the address to Sir Peregrine Maitland, which was 
 submitted to the General Convention. 
 
 For, ‘‘To Sir Peregrine Maitland,” 
 
 Insert, To His Excellency Sir Peregrine Mait¬ 
 land. 
 
 Insert, The humble address of Richard Beasley, 
 Esquire, Chairman of the Upper Canadian Con¬ 
 vention of Friends to Enquiry. 
 
 For, “these twenty years only gave,” &tc. 
 
 Insert, these twenty years, with little exception, 
 only gave, &lc. 
 
 Expunge, “ and most unworthy persons have sat 
 in Assembly.” 
 
 For, “the most indecent irregularities,” 
 
 Insert, great irregularities. 
 
 For, “tending to insult,” 
 
 Insert, tending to distress. 
 
 For, “ low and dastardly,” 
 
 Insert, futile and unbecoming. 
 
 For, “anticipate subjection,” 
 
 Insert, fear subjection. 
 
 Expunge, “ even without war.” 
 
 For, “ notorious bad characters,” 
 
 Liberty unfit persons. 
 
 Expunge, “ who have hitherto disdained to sit 
 in a degraded House.” 
 
 »^dd, Permit me. Sir, to subscribe, this first day 
 of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand, 
 eight hundred and eighteen, with every sentiment 
 of respect. 
 
 Your Excellency’s most obedient humble serv’t#^ 
 
 Copy, Letter, to Lord Erskijie. 
 
 St» Catharines, District of JViagnra, ? 
 
 Upper Canada, Aug, \st, 1818. \ 
 
 My Lord —Your long-tried fidelity to the cause 
 of popular rights, and your many glorious strug¬ 
 gles in behalf of virtuous independence, have sug¬ 
 gested the wish, on the part of my constituents, 
 that I should solicit the honor of having the ad¬ 
 dress of the Upper Canadian Convention of Friends 
 to Enquiry, presented by your Lordship, to his Roy¬ 
 al Highness the Prince Regent. 
 
 In granting this favor, your Lordship will great¬ 
 ly increase our hopes of success, in the cause 
 which we have espoused ; and it will be a plea¬ 
 sant anticipation for us to think, that the prosperi¬ 
 ty of this province, so richly gifted by nature, is 
 cherished by the man, whose genius shed the 
 brightest lustre on the British bar, and whose me¬ 
 rit alone raised him to the highest dignity which a 
 subject can enjoy. 
 
 Permit me, my Lord, to offer to your perusal, a 
 pamphlet, containing the principles and proceed¬ 
 ings of those, for whom I subscribe myself, with 
 the utmost respect, 
 
 Your Lordship’s very obedient servant, 
 
 (Signed) RICHARD BEASLEY. 
 
 To the Right Hon. Lord Erskine, Sic. Sic. Sic. 
 
 o:) 12 ss: 
 
 Rfcetinss of tlic ITIidlaiid District. 
 
 June ^th, 1818. 
 
 In the township of Kingston, at the house of Sa¬ 
 muel Purdy, Anthony McGuin, Esq., J. P., in the 
 chair ; Daniel Washburn, Esq., was elected represen¬ 
 tative, and John Vincent, clerk. 
 
 In the township of Ernest-town, at A. P. Forwards’ 
 hotel, Mr. Daniel Perry in the chair; Davis Hawley, 
 Esq., was elected representative, and Dr. George Ba¬ 
 ker, clerk—also, a committee, consisting of John C. 
 Wilson, Henry Lasher, Collin McKenzie, William 
 Clow, John Lake, Junr., John Fralech, Senr., Jehiel 
 Hawley, Senr., Joseph Smith and Edward Howard. 
 
 In the township of Fredericksburgh, at the house of 
 Daniel Bowen, and Captain Alexander Clark being in 
 the chair ; Mr. Paul Peterson was elected representa¬ 
 tive, and Cyrenus Freshee, clerk—Mr. John Clapp 
 and Mr. Samuel Detlor, a committee. 
 
 In the township of Adolphus-town, at the Court- 
 House, Willet Casey, Esq., M. P., being in the chair ; 
 he was elected representative, and George H. Detlor, 
 clerk. Moses Carnahan, Archibald Campbell, Tho¬ 
 mas Cook and W. Casey, were apoointed a committee. 
 
 In the township of Richmond, at the house of Ja^ 
 seph Pringle ; William Pringle was elected representa¬ 
 tive, and Lewis Ketchum, clerk—William L. Bowen 
 and Francis Vandeboger, a committee. 
 
 In the township of Hallowell, at the hou.se of Tho¬ 
 mas Eyre, Mr. Elijah Carley being in the chair ; Mr. 
 Benjamin Hubbs was chosen representative, and E. 
 W. Armstrong, clerk. 
 
 In the township of Ameliasburgh, at the house of 
 John Garth being in the chair: 
 Weal McArthur was elected representative, and David 
 Walt, clerk—a committee was also formed, consisting 
 Belyon, Samuel W. Parsons, Isaac Huyck 
 and William Birksnian. 
 
 In the township of Thurlow, at the house of Mrs. 
 Margaret Sampson, Belville, Robert Smith, Esq., be¬ 
 ing called to the chair; Capt. Thomas Coleman was 
 chosen representative, and John Reynolds, clerk—also 
 aconimittw, consisting of John Frederick, Matthias 
 Rose and Thomas Clapp. 
 
 In the township of Sidney, at the house of Mr. John 
 Ketcherson, John Row, Esq., being in the chair; Capt. 
 Jacob W. Meyers was appointed representative, and 
 
S4 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 Elkanah B. Fairfield, clerk—also, a committee, com- Amos Ansley, for Pittsburgh and Wolf-Island 
 posed of Ezekiel Lawrence, Thomas Jones, Moses William Simpkins, for Loughborouoh, ' 
 
 Moses and Alexander Chisholm, Esqrs. Hawley, Esi]., for Ernest-town, 
 
 In the township of Loughborough, at thf house of ‘'‘I': Ffederjcksburgh 
 
 Mr. William Simkins, Mr. John Freeman being called , i P., for Adolphustown, 
 
 to the chair; Mr. William Simkins was appointed to Allen, Esq., for Marysburgh, 
 
 be representative, for inhabitants of this township and Benjamin Hnbbs, Esq. for Hallowell, 
 
 Portland, and Mr. Thomas Raile, clerk—also, a com- Neil McArthur, for Ameliasbnrgh, 
 mittee, consisting of Messrs. Luke Barret, Peter Thomas Coleman, Esq., for Thurlow, 
 
 Swetzer and David Richmond. William Pringle, for Richmond, 
 
 T . c iv/T u u X xu u [Jacob William Meyers, for Sidney, and Henrv 
 
 chair; Capt. John Allen was chosen representative,' ™a';o'dable circutnstances.]_ 
 
 I wvajta TV MO V..IJV/OT..IA A ^ pA VOV. I.U Vl V 
 
 and Ensign Henry Dingman, clerk—also, a committee, 
 consisting of Peter Huff, John Wright and Peter Rose. 
 
 Kingston^ \3th June^ 1818. 
 
 This day having been named by inhabitants 
 of Niagara district, in their publication of Princi¬ 
 ples and Proceedings, for the meeting of district 
 representatives, the following persons, nominated 
 by their respective townships, appeared here, 
 namely: Davis Hawley, Esq., for Ernest-town ; 
 Thonvas Coleman, Esq., Thurlow; William Prin¬ 
 gle, for Richmond ; Jacob W. Meyers, Esq., for 
 Sidney ; and Daniel Washburn, Esq., for Kingston. 
 
 Willet Casey, Esq., M. P., being unanimous¬ 
 ly called to the chair ; Messrs. Thomson and Det- 
 lor, merchants, were elected Treasurers for the 
 Midland district, and Daniel Washburn, Esq. tem¬ 
 porary Secretary. 
 
 DANIEL WASHBURN, 
 
 THOMAS COLEMAN, 
 
 PAUL PETERSON, 
 
 JACOB WM. MEYERS, & 
 
 DAVIS HAWLEY, 
 
 Esquires, 
 
 } 
 
 were then unanimously elected district represen¬ 
 tatives. 
 
 A committee of management for the district, 
 
 —C40UWUIij, jui j-t. <. 1^111 IIIiLitru ui management lor iiie iJisirici, 
 
 Davis Hawley, Esq., being unanimously called was also appointed, with power to nominate a 
 to the chair, it was discovered that a mistake as to permanent Secretary, who, together with the 
 the place of meeting, had caused some township Treasurers, Daniel Washburn, Davis Hawley, and 
 representatives to assemble at Ernest-town ; and, Paul Peterson, Esquires, should constitute the 
 in consequence, it was resolved, not to proceed to same. * 
 
 the choice of district representatives. Treasurer, The following petition to his Royal Highness 
 and Secretary, this day. the Prince Regent, was read and unanimously ap- 
 
 It was resolved, nevertheless, that an assurance proved of; the same to be printed and submitted 
 ought imrnediately to be dispatched to the Secre- to the public, for consideration and amendment, 
 tary of Niagara district, by the Chairman of this ---———- 
 
 •f , -^-....W WW.I 
 
 meeting, requesting him immediately to communi¬ 
 cate to the representatives of Niagara district, that 
 they may depend on being met at York, on the 6th 
 July ne.vt, by persons duly appointed to act for the 
 Midland district, as to sending to England a Com¬ 
 mission, bearing addresses from this province, to 
 
 Draft of an Address “proposed for presentation to 
 the Prince Regent, by the township representatives 
 of the Midland district, submitted to the public, 
 for remark and amendment, ( Variations from 
 the^iagara address, are distinguished by italics; 
 omissions noted by asterisks.) 
 
 auuic.-'SCS IIUIII IIJIS pruviljut;, lU loivc.y 
 
 his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on the To his Royal Highness, GEORGE, Princb of 
 state of Dublic affairs. Wattjo iv-- _j _ r/-. . ^ 
 
 State of public affairs. 
 
 Furthermore, it was resolved, that Saturday 
 20th of this present month, be immediately adver¬ 
 tised as the day of general meeting of township^ 
 representatives and clerks, for this district, at the 
 house of Abel P. Forward, Inn-keeper, at the hour 
 of 2 o’clock P. M., in the village of Ernest-tow'ii, 
 for the special purpose of electing district repre¬ 
 sentatives, a Treasurer, and Secretary. 
 
 And likewise it was resolved, that the forego¬ 
 ing resolutions be published in the next Kingston 
 Gazette. DAVIS HAWLEY, Chairman, 
 
 Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, &.c. &.c. &tc. 
 
 The humble Address of inhabitants of Upper 
 Canada — 
 
 May it please your Royal HigHxNess : 
 
 The subjects of your Royal father, dw’elling in 
 Upper Canada, would need no words to give assu¬ 
 rance of their loyalty, if the whole truth had reach¬ 
 ed the Throne of their Sovereign, 'they have rea¬ 
 son to believe that the truth has not been fairly 
 told. 
 
 During three years of war. Upper Canada was 
 exposed to the ravages of a powerful and inveterate 
 foe. The Government of the United Stales had 
 
 Ernest-town, \bth June, 1818. 
 
 lan^^dfsTncf^^v?-^^'VV’iw me uovernment or me United Stales had 
 
 the townshin nf A* 1 1 1 a^ey, Esq. M. P., for /owg-iern concerting the invasion of this province. 
 FredeHrk^hnrllf.'^''^ preparations* tpcrc masked under other de- 
 
 and Wolf Ulfnd . Pittsburgh signs.* At last the accumulated torrent ofhosti- 
 
 burtrli* Beni Hnhh^r^ ^?^*ii^ Marys- lities burst on the defenceless children of the 
 
 Fox for Sonhinul^Il^'ijU ^7' British empire. Nor jvere they assailed by. the 
 
 Ameliasburtrli k - weapons of war alone. An insidious proclamation 
 
 mistake,, at this preceded the host of the enemy, forgetful ofho- 
 
 Tntimatto,7m^^^^ having sent nor, regardless of humanity, and calculated to se- 
 
 TL orth^KHid In v" if intimidate British subjects from their* alle- 
 
 dav at rhP hZf /ai i^^'tain here, remained 
 
 la^e to nrnrppH t ^ I ' urward, in this vil- faithful and firm. It W’as not for property that 
 
 A\nLt[nrflpf L 1 n they rose against the invader. The invader wmuld 
 
 DatierWashhurr ^ them their property. They flew to 
 
 Hamel Washburn, Esq., for Kingston, arms in defence of the rights and sovereignty of 
 
 

 CHRONICLES 
 
 Britain. Twice was the American standard* plant¬ 
 ed in Upper Canada, wliile yet but a handful of 
 British troops aided the militia of the province. 
 Twice did these raw battalions of militia wave the 
 laurel of victory over the prostrate intruders on 
 their soil. The second year of war saw Canada con¬ 
 tending against invasion with* little assistance from 
 the parent state. The second year of the war saw 
 her sons confirmed in their virtue, and still more de¬ 
 termined to resist. Wives and children had fled 
 from their homes ; the face of the country was laid 
 waste; and the fire of revenge was sent forth to 
 consumate distress and rvin. Still was the spirit 
 of the people unextinguished ; still did it burn with 
 patriotism and loyalty. 
 
 By the tliird year, every risk of conquest was at 
 an end; for now the British aids poured into the 
 province; and peace was proclaimed, when war 
 was no longer to be feared. 
 
 It is now more than three years since there w’as 
 an end of war ; but, it is painful to add, these years 
 of peace have* not been attended with the expected 
 marks of attention and regard to Canada, Com¬ 
 mercial treaties have been formed, without provi¬ 
 ding for the British interests in this country, Gov- 
 ornmentrt/ transactions, which used to give spirit 
 to trade and industry, are at a stand ; troops are 
 withdrawn ; fortifications are suffered to go to ru¬ 
 in; and rumors are abroad too shocking to be re¬ 
 peated in the Royal ear. 
 
 May it please your Royal Highness to listen 
 calmly to the complaints and grievances of the 
 people of Upper Canada,* who are fully assured of 
 the generous disposition of your Royal heart, and 
 of your desire that British subjects should, every 
 where, share equally your paternal regard and af- 
 ection. 
 
 U was matter of mortification to the people of 
 this province to see, even during the war, which 
 afforded such striking proofs of their loyalty and 
 valor, reports sent home, highly rating the merit 
 of regular troops, while the tribute due to Canadi¬ 
 an battalions was unfairly withheld. Nay, the 
 principles of the most loyal subjects here were* 
 stigmatized by certain officers, ignorant of human 
 character, and still more so of circumstances which 
 affect it in this part of the world. It was not so 
 with the immortal Brock. He justly appreciated 
 Canadian worth; and his memory will happily 
 long cherish, in the minds of the Canadian people, 
 a due regard for the genuine spirit of a British sol¬ 
 dier, at once generous and brave. 
 
 The loyal inhabitants of Upper Canada would 
 disdain to notice the misrepresentations of individ¬ 
 uals, so contrary to notorious truth, if these had 
 not obviously conspired, with other causes, to les¬ 
 sen the mutual regard which should subsist be¬ 
 tween British subjects here‘and at home, and to 
 influence the conduct of Ministers towards the ge¬ 
 neral interest of this province. 
 
 The loyal subjects of ilis Majesty, in Upper Ca¬ 
 nada, suffered grievously, during the war, in their 
 property ; and many were bereft of their all. Jin 
 official investigation, on this subject, took place; 
 the claims of sufferers were authenticated ; and 
 there was every reason to expect, that recompense 
 would immediately follow ; yet nothing has fol¬ 
 lowed, but delay and disappointment. Surely, if 
 there is among maiikind a single principle of jus¬ 
 tice, this is one, that the individuals of a nation 
 ought not, partially, to bear the weight of public 
 calamity. Surely, individuals who have exposed 
 
 OF CANADA. 25 
 
 their lives for Government, should not, in return, 
 find Government regardless of those very princi¬ 
 ples, which it is intended to sustain. The people 
 of this province are well aware, that their fellow 
 subjects at home, are pressed hard with taxation; 
 and far is it from their wish, that relief should be 
 afforded from thence. Canada contains, within it¬ 
 self, ample means of exonerating Government 
 from the claims of sufferers by war ; and it is with¬ 
 in the fiat of your Royal Highness to remove, by 
 a single breath, the evil now so justly complained 
 of. Millions of acres of fertile land lie here, at 
 the disposal of your Royal Highness, upon the 
 credit of which, put under proper management, not 
 only the fair claims of loyal sufferers could be sat¬ 
 isfied, but vast sums might be raised, for the im¬ 
 provement of the province, and the eventual lueiesise 
 of revenue to Britain. 
 
 Another grievance, manifesting the neglect of 
 Government to the concerns of Upper Canada, is 
 equally notorious, and must be, if possible, still 
 more abhorrent to the generousfeelings of vour 
 Royal Highness. 
 
 The young men of this province* were encoura¬ 
 ged to volunteer in its defence, by a promise of their 
 commanders, to reccommend that land should be 
 granted them,* at the termination of the war, as a 
 reward for their services.* *'Under the faith of 
 this promise, and in obedience to law, the militia 
 passed beyond the frontier of the province, with 
 alacrity; yet, since the peace, the greater part of 
 them have been denied the pledge of their extra¬ 
 ordinary services ; and the land, thus promised to 
 them, and defended by them, has been* w ithheld. 
 
 Such ingratitude, such injustice, such errors in 
 policy, your Royal Highness may be well assured, 
 could not exist without extraordinary influences; 
 and, were your Royal Highness Sufficiently in¬ 
 formed as to these, and of the true state of Upper 
 Canada, we flatter ourselves, most important 
 changes would speedily take place, as well for the 
 glory of the throne, as for the benefit of its sub¬ 
 jects. 
 
 Permit the loyal subjects of his Majesty merely 
 to say as rniich, at the present time, on this subject, 
 as may induce your Royal Highness to order in¬ 
 quiry to be marle- 
 
 The lands of the Crown, in Upper Canada, are 
 of immense extent, not only stretching far and 
 wide into the wilderness, but scattered over the 
 province, and intermixed with private property, 
 already cultivated. The disposal of these lands is 
 left to Ministers at home, who,y/‘owi their distance, 
 are* ignorant o^many existing circumstances, and 
 liable to he imposed upon by artful and interested re¬ 
 presentations; and to a Council of men residing in 
 the province, who, being variously connected, politi¬ 
 cally and personally, with applicants for grants, 
 and, like other men, susceptible of partialities and 
 prejudices, have fallen into a train of proceedings, 
 tchich has given much dissatisfaction. The* abuses 
 in this department, it is understood, came some 
 years ago to such a pitch,* that the home Minis¬ 
 ters* imposed restrictions on the Land Council of 
 Upper Canada. These, however, \\Si\Q not effectu¬ 
 ally removed the evil.* A system of patronage 
 and favoritism, in the disposal of Crown lands, is 
 still believed to exist, as destructive of moral recti¬ 
 tude and virtuous feeling in the community, as it is 
 subversive of general confidence and respect for Go¬ 
 vernment ; a species of influence, connected with the 
 peculiar circumstances of this province, and not wit- 
 D 
 
 
26 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 nessed in any other part of the Bfdtish empire. It is 
 in vain to look for improvement, until a radical 
 change shall be effected. It matters not what cha¬ 
 racters fill situations of public trust, at present. 
 Such is the course of things, that they are insensibly 
 drawn into the vortex. Disappointment, delay, vex¬ 
 ation and confusion, have grown out of this unhap¬ 
 py system ; the lands of the Crown, the giving 
 away of which has created such mischief,*^ have 
 thereby come to little value.’^ The poor subjects 
 of hi8 Majesty, driven from home, by disterss, to 
 whom portions of land are granted, derive small ad¬ 
 vantage from their grants; and Loyalists of the 
 United Empire, the descendants of those who sac¬ 
 rificed their all, in America, in behalf of British 
 rule: men whose names were ordered on record 
 for their virtuous adherence to your Royal father • 
 the descendants of those men* cannot realize the 
 benefit expected from iheir destined rewards.* 
 
 Under this system of internal manafrement, and 
 weakened from other cavses, Upper Canada now 
 pines in comparative decay. Poverty and discon¬ 
 tent are experienced, in a land supremely blessed 
 with the gias of nature. A dread of arbitrary 
 powet affects the free exercise of reason and man¬ 
 ly sentiment. Laws have been set aside. Legis¬ 
 lators have been hrovght into derision; and con¬ 
 tempt from the mother country, seem fast <rather- 
 mg strength to disunite .the people of Canada 
 from their friends at home. 
 
 The immediate interference of your Royal Hiirh- 
 ness may do much to check existing evils: and 
 may wholly remedy those which spring from the 
 system of patronage and favoritism, in the land- 
 granting department. Other evils, however 
 greatly retard the prosperity of Upper Canada 
 evils which can only be removed by the interference 
 Or the British Parliament. 
 
 Deeply penetrated with these sentiments, and 
 most seriously inclined to have such needful chan¬ 
 ges speedily effected, the undersigned loyal sub- 
 jects of Britain, dwelling in Upper CanaL, now 
 take the extraordinary step of sending home Com¬ 
 missioners to bear this to the Throne, and humbly 
 entreat your Royal Highness to give ear to the 
 details, which it will be in their power to relate • 
 above all, that your Royal Highness would send 
 out to this province a Commission, consisting of 
 
 who'^sfnn"h»'^K ®'”®"—'"®" "^business and tafent, 
 who shall be above every influence here ; and who 
 
 may be instructed to inquire into all* existing' 
 sources of evil, and means of improvement. ^ 
 
 Resolved., That, while we are conscious that our 
 object, and that of the land owners whom we re- 
 '’e I" ® peaceable and constitu- 
 
 thTpriwVl )°yal Address to 
 
 the Prince Regent, to obtain impartial public in¬ 
 quiry concerning evils believed to exist in the ad¬ 
 ministration of this province, with a view to the 
 removal of them, and the improvement of the slate 
 of the province, we regard with indignation any 
 
 of\he'’Ll”st exercise of one 
 
 or the most sacred ncrhts of Encrlichr«orv j ^ 
 
 ■»pp»" 'tPy “ 
 
 Resolved, That the township clerks of this dis¬ 
 trict, do pay into the hands of the Treasurer all 
 
 fore'tbetst e® °^e 
 
 lore the first of July next; and that the Treasu- 
 
 rers be requested to account therefor, on that day 
 
 at tins place, to the district committee. 
 
 The thanks of the meeting were then voted to 
 
 Chairman, for his liberal conduct, and also to 
 <J*sinterested exertions in be¬ 
 half of the province of Upper Canada. 
 
 This general meeting adjourned, till a future 
 day of meeting shall be advertised by the district 
 committee. ^ 
 
 A f CASEY, Chairman, 
 
 A true copy, D. Washburn, Acting Secy, 
 
 illeetings in the Western JDistrict. 
 
 Mr. Roderick Drake was appointed representative for 
 the township of Malden, Mr. Alexander Kenilh M’- 
 Kenzie, cl^k—also, a committee, consisting of James 
 Caldwell, Gustavus Arwison, and John Mickle. 
 
 Ru'doloh K fh^^^«“®eofMr. John Little, Mr. 
 
 Kudolph Huffman being in the chair ; Mr. John Bru«*h 
 
 Ton representative, and Mr. Gordon Bucham 
 
 At Gosfield, at the house of Mr. Robert Ivr»ry.o„ at 
 L eonard Scratch being in the chair- 
 gle was chosen representative for tbo u* f 
 Gosfield and Mercia, Mr ^hn T ej 
 
 Messrs. Michael Fox, Jacob Fox Pcipr <a 
 Henry Scratch, a comrnittel ’ “e** 
 
 7 Sandwich, at the house of Mr. Thomas Lewis 
 J. B. bouneaux. Chairman • Mr t * 
 
 appointed mpresentativ™ Mr T 7 ’ 
 
 clerk, and a committee, Messrs C Pim»° ?>'*’ 
 
 rent. Jacques Paren^Sile^'BoX. 
 
 Sandwich, imlune, 1818. 
 Fhis day a meeting ofthe representatives for the 
 
 flowing townships in the county of S and 
 Western district, was held at the^(,ou“f’S 
 
 Thomas Lewis, for furihprinry i 
 
 r ^sidt? L-aKw^^- sr i 
 
 2 d April, 1818 . PREsrTr ’ 
 
 CoRhesten '^P^^^enting the township of 
 
 Mr. Joseph Wigle, do. Gosfield and Mercia 
 S-dwich, Mo/^d 
 
 the^busi's 0^"ihl ealW to the chair, 
 
 Aoril iRiR Cflnada, dated 2d 
 
 iia,7.Jr.,T,rr r"”"-’ 
 
 to choosp n ^ • cieeting then proceeded 
 
 sex when Mrcounty of Es- 
 „ e .J^oderick Drake was duly elected 
 
 Niagara"dis'trict'^w-m*Dr formed in the 
 
 3 d 'dav of T 1 proceed to Ancaster, by the 
 
 to York, by theTth^of th proceed 
 
 at the P’rov^ntl ContJtlor ^ 
 
 -Meetings ill tlie iwstiict of Gore. 
 
 DMieminn” M** 'Prafalm at theiwuse o^f Mr. 
 
 * Munn , Mr. Samson Howell was chosen lepre- 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 27 
 
 sentative, and Mr. John Brown, clerk ; also, a com¬ 
 mittee, viz: Messrs. James Thompson, Daniel Munn, 
 Wm. Tisdale, and John Railing. 
 
 In the township of Barton, at the house of Samuel 
 Price, Geo. Hamilton, Esq., J. P., being in the chair; 
 Richard Beasley, Esq., J. P., was chosen representa¬ 
 tive, and Samuel Ryckman, clerk ; also, a committee, 
 consisting of Thomas Davis, Jacob Rymal, John 
 Smith, and Daniel Crosswait. 
 
 In the township of Ancaster, at Newton’s Inn, Mr. 
 Samuel Andruss in the chair; Mr. Peter Hogeboorn 
 was chosen representative, and Mr. Thomas Lawra- 
 son, clerk—also, a committee, consisting of Mr. John 
 Binkly, Mr.William B.VanEvery, and John Vanderlip. 
 
 In the township of Nelson, at the house of Caleb 
 Hopkins, Mr. Moses McCay in the chair ; Wm. Chis¬ 
 holm was chosen representative, and Wm. McCay, 
 clerk. 
 
 In the township of Flamborough East, at the house 
 of Mr. Gabriel Hopkins, Geo. Chisholm, Esq., in the 
 chair; John Chisholm, Esq., was elected representa¬ 
 tive, and Mr. F. I. Harrold, clerk—also, a committee, 
 consisting of Messrs. Geo. Chisholm, Jun., Gabriel 
 Hopkins, and Christian Row. 
 
 In the township of Beverly, at the house of Mr. 
 Rinear Vansikel; Mr. Andrew Jones, representative, 
 and Mr. James Deary, clerk—also, a committee, con¬ 
 sisting of Messrs. James Cope, James Jones, and John 
 Humel. 
 
 In the township of Glanford, at the house of Mr. 
 Christopher Terraberry, Paul Huffman being in the 
 chair ; Thomas Choat was chosen representative, and 
 John Haves, clerk—also, a committee, consisting of 
 Messrs. George F. Smith, Jacob L. Smith, and John 
 Treanor. 
 
 Hamilton, District of Gore, June \^th, 1818. 
 
 This day a meeting of the representatives from 
 the different townships of the district, assembled 
 at the Inn of Samuel Price, for the purpose of pe¬ 
 titioning the Prince Regent, on the general state 
 of public affairs now existing in the province of 
 Upper Canada. 
 
 Richard Beasley, Esq. representing the township 
 of Barton. 
 
 Peter Hogeboom 
 
 Jacob Springstot 
 
 Andrew Jones, 
 
 do. 
 
 Ancaster. 
 
 do. 
 
 Saltfleet. 
 
 do. 
 
 Beverly. 
 
 do. 
 
 East Flamborough. 
 
 ,do. 
 
 Nelson. 
 
 do. 
 
 Trafalgar. 
 
 do. 
 
 Glandford. 
 
 do. 
 
 Haldimand. 
 
 do. 
 
 Waterloo. 
 
 Sampson Howell, 
 
 Thomas Choat, 
 
 Frederick Yeowar 
 Jacob Erb, 
 
 Peter Hogeboom being unanimously called to 
 the chair, the business of the day commenced by 
 reading Mr. Gourlay’s address to the Resident 
 Land Owners of Upper Canada, and the petition 
 to the Prince Regent. The address and petition 
 were unanimously approved of, by the meeting. 
 The meeting proceeded to choose representatives 
 for the district, and the following persons were 
 unanimously chosen, viz: 
 
 Richard Beasley, Esq. to represent the county 
 of Wentworth. 
 
 Capt. Wm. Chisholm, the county of Halton. 
 The meeting proceeded to electa Treasurer and 
 Secretary: Geo. Hamilton, Esq. was elected 
 Treasurer, and John Chisholm, Esq., Secretary, 
 The meeting passed a vote of thanks to Mr. Gour- 
 lay, for his spirited interference in behalf of his 
 Majesty’s subjects in this province. 
 
 incctin;;^ in tlic Joliii§town District. 
 
 In the township of Crosby, June 6th, 1818, at the 
 school house, Mr. Joseph Merriman in the chair; 
 Chapman Pennock was appointed representative, and 
 Nathaniel Ketchum, clerk : also, a committee, con¬ 
 sisting of Messrs. Joseph Merriman, Henry Halladay, 
 and Aaron Pennock. 
 
 In the township of Killey, 22nd June, 1818, at the 
 house of William Talman, Benjamin Lyman, Esq., 
 J. P., in the chair; Capt. Duncan Livingstone was 
 chosen representative, and I. S. Root, clerk : also, a 
 committee, consisting of Benjamin Lyman, Esq., Ti¬ 
 mothy Soper, William W. Brown, and John Arnold. 
 
 In the township of Bastard, 23rd June, 1818, at the 
 house of E. Chamberlain, Mr. Barnabas Chapman in 
 the chair; Dr. George Breakenridge was chosen re¬ 
 presentative, and Silas Smith, clerk : also, a commit¬ 
 tee, composed of Messrs. William Stevens, Daniel 
 Terrie, Sheldon Nichols, and Judson Stoddard. 
 
 In the township of Landsdown, 23rd June, 1818, at 
 the house of Mrs. Lee, Mr. Nathan Hicok in the 
 chair; he was chosen representative for inhabitants of 
 tliis township and Leeds, Mr. Oliver Eaton, clerk ; 
 and a committee, consisting of Messrs. Wm. Parish, 
 John Struthers, Allan Sweet, Isaac Soper, and the 
 representative. 
 
 In the township of Yonge, 24th June, 1818, at tl|e 
 houses of John Dickson and Stephen Andrews, Capt. 
 Joseph Wiltsie and Mr. Wm. Thomson, in the chair; 
 Benoni Wiltsie, Esq., was chosen representative, and 
 Mr. Andrew Teed, clerk : also, a committee, consist¬ 
 ing of Messrs. John Dickson, Squire Mott, Daniel 
 Phelps, William Thomson, Walter Adams, and Tho¬ 
 mas P. Kenyon. 
 
 In the township of Elizabethtown, at the house of 
 Mr. Dayton, 2Gth June, 1818, Thomas Smith, Esq., 
 .1. P., in the chair; he was chosen representative, and 
 Mr. John Kilborn, clerk : also, a committee, consist¬ 
 ing of Messrs. Truelove Butler, Vincent Booth, Ed¬ 
 ward Howard, John Ketchum, and Abraham Dayton, 
 Esq., J. P._ 
 
 Elizabethtown, June mtk, 1818. 
 
 Which day the following persons, chosen to re¬ 
 present inhabitants of townships in the Johnstown 
 district, with a view to co-operate with inhabit¬ 
 ants of the district of Niagara and others, in send¬ 
 ing to England a Commission, bearing addresses 
 to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, on the 
 state of Upper Canada, assembled at the house of 
 Abraham Dayton, Esq. Elizabethtown, viz Tho¬ 
 mas Smyth, Esq. J, P., representing inhabitants of 
 Elizabethtown ; Duncan Livingston, Esq., do Kit- 
 ley ; Dr. George Breakenridge, do. Bastard ; Mr. 
 Nathan Hicok, do. (rear and front of) Yonge; 
 Mr. Chapman Pennock, do. Crosby. 
 
 Thomas Smyth, Esq. J. P. being called to the 
 chair, it was 
 
 Rsolved and carried. That only about half 
 the townships of this district having appointed re¬ 
 presentatives, one representative shall be consid¬ 
 ered sufficient to proceed to York, on behalf of the 
 same. 
 
 Sid, Resolved and carried. That the necessary 
 charges of the district representative attending his 
 duty at York, shall be defrayed out of the district 
 fund, and be payable to the order of the committee. 
 
 The meeting then proceeded to choose a dis¬ 
 trict representative, when Mr. Nathan Hicok was 
 duly elected : John Kilborn was chosen Secreta¬ 
 ry, and Thomas Smyth, Esq. J. P. Treasurer—a 
 committee was also appointed, consisting of Abra¬ 
 ham Dayton, Esq. J. P., Thomas Smyth, Esq. J. 
 
£8 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 P., Edward Howard, Vincent Booth, John Kil- 
 born, and the district representatives—any three 
 to be a quorum. 
 
 Resolved and carried, That, as many peo¬ 
 ple in the townships, from whence representatives 
 have not been sent to this meetingr. are known to 
 be well disposed to the cause, the district commit¬ 
 tee shall correspond with such people, and have an 
 ag-ent or agents appointed in each of said town¬ 
 ships, to receive subscriptions from individuals, 
 and report concerning the same, to the Secretary. 
 
 4th, Resolved and carried, That the committee 
 shall have power to direct payments to be made by 
 the Treasurer, and if occasion requires, they njay 
 at any time call a meeting of township represen¬ 
 tatives, to consult as to any unforeseen circumr 
 stance. 
 
 bth, Resolved and carried. That it shall be clear¬ 
 ly understood, that all monies not applied to, or 
 required for the purposes in view, shall be refund¬ 
 ed, in due proportion, to individual subscribers. 
 
 Uh, Resolved and carried. That the district re¬ 
 
 presentative shall consult with other representa¬ 
 tives, when assembled at York, as to a proper 
 draft of an address to his Royal Highness the 
 Prince Regent; and that a copy of the same be 
 laid by him before the township respresentatives of 
 this district, at their first general meeting after his 
 return from York. 
 
 Till, Resolved and carried. That this general 
 meeting do adjourn, till Saturday the 25th July 
 next, then to meet at the house of Uri Stone, in 
 Elizabethtown, at the hour of twelve o’clock, and 
 that the clerks of the several townships do then 
 and there present themselves, with subscription 
 lists and money collected, to be paid over by them 
 to the district Treasurer, 
 
 (Signed) THOMAS SMYTH, Chairman, 
 
 A true copy, (Signed) John Kilborn, Clerk. 
 
 [Here ends what teas •printed in 
 two pamphlets, and paidfor out of the 
 subscriptions of JS/tagara district^ 
 
 ARREST APVD TRIAL OF MR. CfOFRLAY, 
 
 Extracted from Report of the Trial, printed in a pamphlet at Kingston^ 
 immediately after his acquittal. 
 
 WARRAJVT. 
 
 The King v. Robert Gourlat, 
 
 UPPER CANADA. 
 
 MIDLAND ) finO Robert Young, high Consta- 
 DISTRICT. ^ ble, or to any other Constable in 
 
 the town of Kingston — Greetitig: Whereas, in¬ 
 formation and complaint hath been 7 nade before 
 me, (Thomas Markland, Ksquire, one of his J\1a- 
 Jesty s Justices of the Peace, in and for the said dis- 
 trkt,) on oath, that Robert Gonrlay, late of King¬ 
 ston, in the said district, gentleman, at Kingston, m 
 the said district, on or about the first day of June 
 instant, unlawfully, maliciously and wickedly, did 
 publish and utter a. false, wicked and seditious libel, 
 styled, “ Principles and Proceedings of the'Inhabi¬ 
 tants of the District of Atiagara, for addressing 
 his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, respecting 
 the claims of sufferers in war, lands to militia men, 
 and the general benefit of Upper Canada: printed 
 at the a gar a Spectator office, 18\S; price, one 
 shilling, Halifax,intending thereby, the peace and 
 common tranquility of our Lord the King, and this 
 his province of Upper Canada, to disquiet, molest 
 and disturb, and to bring the Government of our 
 said Lord the King, in this his province, into great 
 hatred, contempt and scandal, ivilh all his faithful 
 and liege subjects of the said province,' 
 
 These are, ther^ore, to charge and command you 
 to apprehend and arrest the said Robert Gourlay, if 
 he shall be found within your bailwick, and bring 
 him before me, or some other of his Majesty’s Justi¬ 
 ces of the Peace, to he dealt with as the law directs. 
 
 Given under my hand arid seal, this eleventh day 
 of June, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, 
 at Kingston, in the Midland district. 
 
 (Signed) THUS MARKLAJVD, J. P. (L.S.) 
 
 I do hereby certify that the above is a true copy of 
 the original warrant, 
 
 (Signed) ROBERT YOUNG, High Constable, 
 
 JURORS EMPANNELLED ON THE TRIAL. 
 
 OLIVER THIBODO, Foreman, ELIJAH TENNY, 
 SAMUEL MERRILL, ALEXANDER WATSON, 
 THOMAS SMITH, JOSEPH RANSIER, 
 JAMES MEAGHER, JOHN DOWLING, 
 LOOMIS NORTON, ANDREW DENIKE, 
 JAMES McGEE, GEORGE OLIVER. 
 
 Extracted from the Kingston Gazette, August 18, 1818. 
 MR. GOURLAY’S TRIAL. 
 
 On Saturday the 15th inst., the case of the A7/ig- 
 v. Robert Gourlay, for publishing a seditious L\- 
 bel, was tiied before the Court of Assizes, now 
 sitting in this town. The publication charged as 
 libellous, was the Niagara petition to the Prince 
 Regent. It being a cause of great expectation, 
 the Court-House was thronged beyond what was 
 ever known on any former occasion. The Solici¬ 
 tor General opened the prosecution, and produced 
 Stephen Miles, printer, as a witness, to prove the 
 publication of the pamphlet, which not being pre¬ 
 cisely proved, was admitted, by the defendant. 
 Mr. Gourlay entered into a verv full defence, 
 which, we understand, will probably be published! 
 He called John Clark, Esq., of Niagara, to prove 
 his character and conduct, in that district, and that 
 the petition charged to be a libel, although written 
 by the defendant, was examined, approved and 
 published, by a committee of the representatives 
 of that district, with their names annexed to the 
 publication. The defendant also called James 
 Wilkie, Esq., Ordnance store keeper, of Kingston, 
 who testified that, from his earliest years, he had 
 been well acquainted with Mr. Gourlay; having 
 been brought up in the same neighborhood, and 
 served under his command, as a commandant of 
 volunteers, in Fifeshire; also, that Mr.Gourlay's 
 character, in his native country, was fair and irre- 
 proachable,and his family and connexions of the first 
 respectability. The Solicitor General replied, at 
 
great length. Judge Campbell, who had exercised 
 n.uchpat.enceand candor during theV/u„ ent7 
 
 who withdrew, and in about half an hour returned 
 into Court, with a verdict of JVOT GVITTY 
 I?*® '^“^‘'elivered, an instanta- 
 
 tkued f"‘'/®""al burst of applause, which con- 
 Duhhr I I ® “»nutes, marked the state of the 
 public feeling, on this interesting subject. 
 
 disIi?s7on^n®r'®7°^i® “"‘I fa''- 
 
 un^nTin 1 ««'>'>l‘shed the right of 
 
 uniting in a petition to the Prince Reirent and 
 using the requisite means of forming sufh union • 
 and has refuted the most extraordinary ZZ’ 
 that a large proportion of the loyal inhabitantsV 
 this province have been guilty of a seditious libel 
 q^estion!"^*^” “ “‘•opting the petition in 
 
 On Monday the I7th inst., a number of eentle- 
 men gave Mr. Gourlay a dinner, at Moore’s Coffee- 
 nf If®!* aoren o’clock, the company, consisting 
 
 . ®^''’®®*"r ® ‘•own to7 tablTfur! 
 
 Dished in Mr. Moore’s best style. Mr. T Dalton 
 
 rC ••"h"®. “a Vice Pres " 
 
 "'a® removed, Mr. Dalton 
 «Jfrds7!^ hims®lf to the company nearly in these 
 
 " Gentlemen, Feulow Countrymen— It is ne 
 culiarly gratifying to me, (as I am sure it Llo 
 that witness the universal joy 
 
 rede hanH^of *" protecting from the 
 
 rude hand of spoilers, the best, the dearest, the 
 hallowed right of every British subject: it is a 
 sure pledge, that English liberty will be perpetii- 
 
 ’r",r®'u •’“'■mony, our unbounded sa¬ 
 tisfaction at the happy escape of Mr. Gourlay 
 from the merciless fangs of low minded pride. boN 
 Mered and propped by a “ little brief authority.” 
 
 1 his event is of such immense importance to every 
 man in the country, who has any, the least, regard 
 for the inestimable blessings of our glorious con¬ 
 stitution, that It would indeed be wonderful did 
 hNarity’’ overflow with mirth and 
 
 The following toasts were given from the Chair 
 and drank with shouts of applause. Between 
 each toast, an appropriate song was called for 
 
 and sung with true patriotic feeling, and mirthful 
 glee. 
 
 The King ! 
 
 His Royal Highness the Prince Regent—May his 
 ears be opened to the petitions of his loyal sub¬ 
 jects, and his hands ready to redress their wrongs! 
 
 The Duke of Richmond, whose character in 
 tngland and Ireland, affords a happy presage of 
 ms government in this country! 
 
 His ^cellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieu¬ 
 tenant Governor of this province—May his admi¬ 
 nistration justify the high expectations formed of 
 It, by promoting an inquiry into the state of the 
 province! 
 
 The constitutional right of Petitioning—Disap- 
 ^intment and disgrace .to those who would stifle 
 It, by criminal prosecutions! 
 
 Robert Gourlay! whose honorable acquittal we 
 ommeniorate—May his slanderers, assailants and 
 prosecutors blush for their abuse of him! 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 £9 
 
 “ P®°f speaker, yet, 
 L"^®? r ^ l®"®’ language could ex- 
 
 mvsel?^ f’n tins occasion. As it concerns 
 
 myself; individually, I sincerely thank you for the 
 honor done me : no traveller, ‘ pelted by the piti- 
 less storm, could ever have half the sa^sfaclion 
 from welcome to a hospitable retreat, as I now ex- 
 
 I consider"! rr ®°rP“">’! but, gentlemen, when 
 tharoflho^f®‘’ 7 '“ "?>',‘l®''‘eraiice, is connected 
 that of the Deedom of this country, and the most 
 
 nofhini P®^®°?®‘ suffering and abuse sinks into 
 mv circumstances, charity to 
 
 my enemies becomes an easy virtue. 
 
 r., 7 ^®r^*®"'®"~"'i''®*®''®'’ have been thouaht 
 or whatever may have been said, I declare upon 
 my honor, that no expression ever dropped frmn 
 my pen fainted with malice; and in no ^instance 
 have I been the first to attack. An enthusiastic 
 regard for the cause which I espoused, while I 
 was conscious of the best intentions, and had my 
 ha! offV’® ""ebfy good which might result! 
 h noth" '"®‘^® '"a®®?^® ‘bose who opposed 
 hpTlP! !"P®,"”P'‘'“'®"‘'y severe; for it is oRen the 
 best policy to answer mean and base reflections 
 wAh s,l®nc® and contempt. Gentlemen-I con- 
 
 errL*! bm’ '"n®®® ®^ ‘"’® '"alances I have 
 !h^! . ^ ^ ® ®'' buman. Now, that the great 
 objects in view are so well established, I shaH be 
 
 par y biclw at ‘'°"® '^“\P®»y '"“fP“re and 
 »nd . 1 , I “ ® ®® fbe ends of justice 
 
 and the law are sufficiently satisfied, I shall be 
 most ready and willing to exchange forgiveness 
 with my enemies, in every quarter.’^ “'«‘''®"®"® 
 
 Juries ^ dodges, and the Independence of 
 
 dories, equally entitled to respect! ^ '' 
 
 tie Libertu nf thp «i-r. 
 
 »sfoiiowt"!l!^ fose, and addressed the company 
 
 liberty ‘*’® ““Peguard of civil 
 
 Impartiality, the first duty of a Maa-istrate— 
 
 sacrifice it, to personal or parly feelings! 
 
 Our worthy visitors from other districts ! 
 
 -iol cn, from 
 
 A straight j^acket, instead of a silk gown, for the 
 advocat® of the new doctrine, that th^e inh bitant! 
 of this province may unite in a general petition 
 petitm^t Publicly propose or communicate a 
 !.!!h • * ®®®^ °*^®'’’ ••b® purpose of forming 
 
 ’.'C.S.r"''*'"''* too- 
 
 May those who have taken an active part in the 
 measures adopted by the friends to enquiry, never 
 
 regret what they have done ! 
 
 «,.TI’®r^"?®'^ ®! ®®®''"’ Polufo'l af those who, for 
 want of rational arguments, attack their opponents 
 
 teeth!pnai’l!'! 
 
 The immortal Wellington, the glory of Great 
 Uie^worW f *"^'*^® •'^®^a”‘l' “"“I ‘be admiration of 
 
 May the matter contained in the pamphlet de¬ 
 nounced as noxious, by the Solicitor General, 
 prove an antidote Jto corruption ! 
 
 The evening was spent in social hilarity; and 
 before the company separated, this sentiment was 
 drank : Happy to meet, happy to part, and happy 
 to meet again. * 
 
30 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 PARLIAITIEIVT OF UPPER CAIVADA. 
 
 Extracted from netospapers of the day. 
 
 Monday^ 12lh Oct. 1818. 
 
 At £ o’clock this day, his Excellency the Lieu¬ 
 tenant-Governor proceeded in state, from the gar¬ 
 rison to the Legislative Council chamber, where, 
 being seated on the throne, his Excellency direct¬ 
 ed the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, to de¬ 
 mand the attendance of the House of Assembly, 
 when his Excellency was pleased to open the ses¬ 
 sion with the following 
 
 SPEECH: 
 
 Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Jissemhly : • 
 
 The total want of funds to meet the exigencies 
 of the state, has compelled me to call you togeth¬ 
 er earlier than the usual period ; but I hope it is 
 at a season which interferes little with your con¬ 
 venience. 
 
 I have to announce to you, that no alteration 
 has taken place in the indisposition of our venera¬ 
 ble Sovereign. 
 
 His Royal Highness the Prince Regent receives 
 from Foreign Powers, the strongest assurances of 
 their friendly disposition to the British empire, and 
 of their earnest desire to preserve the general tran¬ 
 quility. 
 
 The prospect of continued peace, is peculiarly 
 auspicious to this country : your undivided atten¬ 
 tion will be given to its interests ; you will inquire 
 into its wants, and find remedies for its embarras- 
 inents. 
 
 In the course of your investigation you will, I 
 doubt not, feel a just indignation at the attempts 
 which have been made to excite discontent, and to 
 organize sedition. Should it appear to you, that 
 a Convention of delegates cannot exist without 
 danger to the Constitution, in framing a law of 
 prevention, your dispassionate wisdom will be 
 careful that it shall not unwarily trespass on that 
 sacred right of the subject, to seek a redress of his 
 grievances by petition. 
 
 A treaty is on foot with our Indian neighbors, 
 for the purchase of new territory, including cer¬ 
 tain tracts, which serve by their intervention, to 
 disconnect our western settlements. 
 
 It appears to me that no object can be of more 
 intrinsic value to this colony, than an increased 
 population ; nor any, on the acquirement of which, 
 a small expenditure of revenue is likely to present 
 the state with a greater return. Whether it would 
 not be advisable to tender assistance in some ef¬ 
 fectual manner, to those poor emigrants who may 
 seek to become your countrymen, is a subject I 
 recommend to your serious consideration. 
 
 Your attention will be directed to certain laws 
 which are expiring, and to others which have ex- 
 pired,'that you may decide on the propriety of con- 
 inuing the one, or reviving the other. To carry any 
 laws which you may enact, for the comfort, safety 
 or morality of the subject, or for the general bene¬ 
 fit of the province, into full effect, you may depend 
 on my hearty co-operation. 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly: 
 
 I shall direct the proper officer to lay before 
 you, the accounts of the receipts and expenditure 
 of the provincial revenue, with an estimate of what 
 may be required for the support of the civil Go¬ 
 vernment. 
 
 Honorable Gentlemen and Gentlemen: 
 
 Convened as you now are, for the great pur¬ 
 pose of elevating your country by the wisdom of 
 your councils, you feel each of you impressed w’ith 
 the responsibility and dignity which invests you; 
 you recollect the celebrity of your proceedings: 
 these considerations, enfighlened manners, and 
 the beneficent influence of religion, will no doubt 
 regulate the intercourse between your au<rust as¬ 
 semblies. ® 
 
 The following address of the Hon. the Legisla¬ 
 tive Council, was presented to his Excellency the 
 Lieut. Governor, on Wednesday the 14ih inst. 
 
 To his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, Knight 
 Commander of the most honorable Military Or- 
 der of the Path, Lieutenant-Governor of the pro¬ 
 vince of Upper Canada, and Major-General com- 
 manding his Majestfs forces theran, ^c. 
 
 Mat it please your Excellency : 
 
 We, his Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the 
 Legislative Council of Upper Canada, in Provin¬ 
 cial Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our 
 thanks for your Speech, at the opening of this ses¬ 
 sion of the Legislature. 
 
 We are happy to embrace this opportunity of 
 congratulating your Excellency, on your safe ar¬ 
 rival to assume the duties of your exalted station 
 amongst us. 
 
 It is with regret that we learn from your Excel¬ 
 lency, that no alteration has taken place in the in¬ 
 disposition of our venerable Sovereign. 
 
 The strong assurances which his Royal High¬ 
 ness the Prince Regent has received, from For¬ 
 eign Powers, of their friendly disposition to the 
 British empire, and of their earnest desire to pre¬ 
 serve the general tranquility, affords us the high¬ 
 est satisfaction ; convinced, with your Excellencv, 
 that a continuance of peace will be peculiarly au¬ 
 spicious to this province, to the interests of which 
 we will bestow our utmost attention. We will in¬ 
 quire into its wants, and endeavor to find out re¬ 
 medies for its embarrassments. 
 
 We shall at all limes feel a just indignation at 
 every attempt which may excite discontent, or 
 organize sedition ; and if it shall appear to us that 
 a Convention of delegates cannot exist, without 
 danger to the Constitution, in framing a law of 
 prevention, we will be careful that it sh”all not un¬ 
 warily trespass on the sacred right of the subject, 
 to seek, by petition, a redress of his grievances. 
 
 It affords us pleasure to learn, that there is a 
 treaty on foot with our Indian neighbors, for the 
 purchase of new territory, including certain tracts 
 which serve by their intervention, to disconnect 
 the western settlements of this province. 
 
 We are persuaded that no object can be of more 
 intrinsic value to this colony, than an increased 
 population ; and we will be ready to co-operate in 
 such measures as may render assistance to the ne¬ 
 cessitous emigrants, who may seek to become set¬ 
 tlers of this province. 
 
 We will attend carefully to the laws which are 
 expiring, and to such as have expired. 
 
 We thankfully receive your Excellency’s ofler 
 of co-operation, to carry into full effect the laws 
 which may be enacted for the comfort, safety or 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 31 
 
 morality of the subject, or for the general benefit 
 of the province. 
 
 To which his Excellency was pleased to reply. 
 Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council: 
 
 I am much gratified by the sentiments you 
 have been pleased to express : accept my thanks 
 for your address. 
 
 On Monday the 19th inst., a committee of the 
 House of Assembly presented the following ad¬ 
 dress to his Excellency : 
 
 To his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland^ Knight 
 Commander of the Most Honorable Military Or- 
 der of the Bath, Lieut. Governor of the province 
 of Upper Canada, and Major-General comman¬ 
 ding his Majesty's forces therein, ^c. ^c. 
 
 May it please your Excellency : 
 
 We, his Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects, the 
 Commons House of Assembly, in Provincial Par¬ 
 liament assembled, beg to offer to your Excellen¬ 
 cy our sincere congratulations on your accession 
 to the government of this province, and to return 
 thanks for your most gracious Speech from the 
 Throne, at the opening of the present session. 
 
 While we regret to learn that no favorable 
 change has taken place in the health of our belov¬ 
 ed Sovereign, we view with much satisfaction the 
 happy prospect of continued peace and prosperity 
 to his Majesty’s subjects, in the assurance of the 
 friendly dispositions of Foreign Powers, received 
 by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. We 
 feel that to no portion of his Majesty’s subjects can 
 this prospect be more auspicious, than to this in¬ 
 fant colony ; and our most anxious wish is to co¬ 
 operate with your Excellency in improving this 
 period of tranquility, by every measure that may 
 tend to relieve the province from any temporary 
 embarrassment, and to advance its general pros¬ 
 perity. 
 
 We feel a just indignation at the systematic at¬ 
 tempts that have been made to excite discontent, 
 and organize sedition, in this happy colony, while 
 the usual and constitutional mode of appeal, for 
 real or supposed grievances, has ever been open to 
 the people of this province, never refused or even 
 appealed to; and deeply lament that the insidious 
 
 designs of one factious individual, should have suc¬ 
 ceeded in drawing into the support of his vile ma¬ 
 chinations, so many honest men and loyal subjects 
 to his Majesty. We remember, that this favored 
 land was assigned to our fathers, as a retreat for 
 suffering loyalty, and not a sanctuary for sedition. 
 
 In the course of our investigation, should it appear 
 to this House, that a Convention of delegates can¬ 
 not exist without danger to the Constitution, in 
 framing a law of prevention, we will carefully dis¬ 
 tinguish between such Conventions and the lawful 
 act of the subject in petitioning for a redress of 
 real or imaginary grievances—that sacred right of 
 every British subject, which we will ever hold in¬ 
 violable. 
 
 We perceive, in your Excellency’s communica¬ 
 tion of the proposed purchase of new territory from 
 the Indians, so important, and indeed so necessa¬ 
 ry, to the growth of our western settlements, a 
 flattering pledge of your Excellency’s sincere de¬ 
 sire to benefit the province; and will give our best 
 consideration to your Excellency’s recommenda¬ 
 tion, that some effectual assistance shall, if possi¬ 
 ble, be extended to those poor emigrants who seek 
 to become our countrymen. 
 
 The laws that have expired, or are about to ex¬ 
 pire, shall receive our attention ; and in reviving 
 or continuing such of them as may be required, or 
 devising new measures for the public good, we 
 feel happy in relying upon your Excellency’s as¬ 
 surance of hearty co-operation. 
 
 The investigation of the public accounts, when 
 submitted to us, and the provisions for the sup¬ 
 port of the civil Government, for the current year, 
 will necessarily engage our cares; and impressed 
 with a proper sense of the responsibility of our du¬ 
 ties, and how’ important it is that we should faith¬ 
 fully discharge them, we trust we shall be actua¬ 
 ted in all our deliberations, by a spirit most likely 
 to lead to a happy result. 
 
 When his Excellency w'as pleased to make the 
 following reply : 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly : 
 
 I am much gratified by the sentiments you have 
 been pleased to express, and I doubt not your wis¬ 
 dom will give them efficacy, in the enactment of 
 salutary laws. 
 
 REPORT OF DEPUTATION. 
 
 To the Friends of Enquiry. 
 
 York, 24f/t October, 1818. 
 
 Gentlemen —Having been honored with your 
 appointment, as members of a committee, with oth¬ 
 ers, to alter the wording and style of the address 
 to his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, we con¬ 
 ceive it proper that you should be made acquaint¬ 
 ed with the result of the deliberations of the com¬ 
 mittee, for which purpose we insert a copy of the 
 address as amended. 
 
 7b his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, K. C. 
 B. Lieut. Governor of the province of Upper Ca¬ 
 nada, Major General commanding his Majesty's 
 forces therein, 
 
 The humble address of Richard Beasley, Esq. 
 Chairman of the Upper Canadian Convention of 
 Friends to Enquiry : 
 
 May it please Your Excellency^ 
 
 In my own name, and that of thousands of the 
 inhabitants of this province, which you are destin¬ 
 ed to govern, I beg leave to address your Excel¬ 
 lency, dutifully and affectionately. We would 
 say, that the people of this province only want 
 your confidence the more to deserve it. 
 
 Surely a people who, for three years, withstood 
 every assault of an insidious, a daring and power¬ 
 ful enemy, merely for the maintenance of British 
 sove^ignty, need not dwell on expressions of loy¬ 
 alty, or be anxious about tests of respect for him 
 who is sent to represent the Royal presence among 
 them. On these subjects there can be but one un¬ 
 divided sentiment; and on the present occasion, 
 that sentiment must be proudly elate with the ad¬ 
 ditional consideration, that he who now comes to 
 occupy the highest dignity among us, was tutor- 
 
32 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 ed under the immortal Wellington, and has for his 
 friend and adviser, a man no less dear to the lov¬ 
 ers of rational liberty. Yes, Sir, we will be frank 
 in confessing, that your near connexion with the 
 Duke of Richmond, and arrival of that great man 
 in these provinces, as Governor-in-Chief, generates 
 in our breasts sensations which no other fortune 
 could have inspired.^ 
 
 Upper Canada had, during the last twenty years, 
 many Governors ; but twenty years, with little ex¬ 
 ception, only gave experience of disappointment in 
 the administration of civil affairs. These twenty 
 years had almost extinguished in our breasts eve¬ 
 ry hope of good, from the change of Governors • 
 but we now feel the influence of a latent spark ; 
 we are now sanguine in looking forward to more 
 cheering times, and to the possession of every ad¬ 
 vantage which the British constitution has so lib¬ 
 erally to bestow. The same hands from which 
 you will receive this address, will present you with 
 a printed detail of “Principles and Proceedings,” 
 which, for some months past, have been agitatintr 
 the public mind in this province. It will require 
 but a glance to be assured, that serious causes 
 must exist, for such agitation ; and you will find 
 that the most anxious desire of the great majority 
 of those whom you have been sent to govern, is, 
 that inquiry may be made into the state of this 
 province, by which every real cause of ao-itation 
 may cease. ° 
 
 Your Excellency will find, from the Journals of 
 the Provincial Parliament, that the subject of in- 
 «iuiry has been repeatedly brought forward in the 
 Commons House of Assembly ; and you w'ill find, 
 on the same record, but too good reasons for des¬ 
 pair of full success in that quarter. The Provin¬ 
 cial Parliament is not, indeed, competent, with its 
 best endeavors to inquire into every matter which 
 retards the improvement of Upper Canada, nor 
 has It authority to correct every evil. Those who 
 now address your Excellency, being aware of this, 
 Jind worn out with disappointment, had resolved to 
 send home a Commission, praying his Royal Hicrh- 
 ness the Prince Regent to cause inquiry immedi¬ 
 ately to be made, that the Imperial Parliament 
 might proceed to interfere upon information sol- 
 lemnly obtained. Circumstances induce them, 
 now, to delay this measure, and entreat your Ex- 
 ^llency to summon, with convenient speed, the 
 Provincial Parliament, that this grand measure, 
 big w ith the fate of Canada, may yet originate and 
 proceed from the most desirable sonrce-lfrom the 
 regularly constituted representation of the people. 
 
 In little more than two months, the weighty la¬ 
 bors of harvest will be over, and, should""Parlia¬ 
 ment be in session before the end of September, 
 every necessary step could be taken there, to pre¬ 
 pare the way for inquiry in the Imperial Parlia¬ 
 ment, at an early stage of its next session. 
 
 This is what we anxiously desire ; but if your 
 Excellency shall see fit, the better to accomplish 
 the desired object, to dissolve the present Com- 
 mons House of Assembly, and issue writs for as¬ 
 sembling a new set of representatives, we would 
 more particularly rejoice, and be greatly.more 
 connclent of success. * 
 
 *A7i error was committed all along 
 -—taking this Duke of liichmondfor 
 his predecessor, the first leader of 
 Parliamentary reform. 
 
 We must, with shame, acknowledge to youf Ex¬ 
 cellency, that the inhabitants of Upper Canada 
 have hitherto paid too little regard to the charac¬ 
 ter of those whom they have chosen to represent 
 them in Parliament. Not only has this been the 
 case, but, from an indifference to the course of 
 public affairs, from a heedlessness of the people at 
 large, to Parliamentary proceedings, the most slo¬ 
 venly habits have been confirmed, and great irreg¬ 
 ularities witnessed. We shall not tire your eL 
 cellency with a recital, but of a few instances in 
 point, nor shall we go back to quote the most 
 shocking facts ; we shall only refer to a few trans¬ 
 actions of the present Parliament. It has sat two 
 sessions. At the opening of the first session, 
 when matter of vital import lay for consideration 
 —even just grounds for impeachment of their then 
 Governor—day after day was occupied with a 
 squabble about the conduct of an individual out of 
 doors—a subject altogether below the notice of a 
 grave assembly. Bye and bye, the annual supply 
 was voted, and put at the disposal of the Gover¬ 
 nor, who, by arbitrary acts, had thwarted the laws 
 of the land, and then, at an extraordinary late sea¬ 
 son, resolutions were brought forward, in the teeth 
 of the Governor's known sentiments, and seem¬ 
 ingly only to provoke his displeasure. 
 
 The resolutions were excellent } but they were 
 wofully mistimed. The Governor, provoked, for¬ 
 got himself—forgot that solemnity which, at home,. 
 19 ever particularly regarded ; he went up to Par¬ 
 liament, without the appearance of state, without 
 the ceremony of notice, or due consultation, and 
 hastily put a period to the session. 
 
 The Parliament was again summoned in Feb¬ 
 ruary last. It was expected that some degree of 
 spirit would have been manifested, in shew of dis¬ 
 pleasure of insulted dignity. It was expected that 
 the consideration of resolutions, of high impor¬ 
 tance to the public weal, would be instantly re¬ 
 sumed. 
 
 The conduct of this session, however, fell even 
 lower than before. An offer of recompense for 
 sufferers in war, unhappily introduced into the 
 Speech from the Throne, and only lending to dis¬ 
 tress the feelings of a large body of people, was re¬ 
 plied to, in most disgusting terms of acquiesence, 
 by the representatives of these very people, while 
 the able resolutions, brought forward at the close 
 of the preceding session, were left neglected, as if 
 in acknowledgment that the Assembly had been 
 deservedly chastised for their production. 
 
 A series of trifling measures filled up the main 
 portion of the session ; the Legislative Council, 
 no doubt, encouraged by the futile and unbecom¬ 
 ing conduct of members of Assembly, assumed 
 rights which had long been denied even by British 
 Peers: the annual supply was not even passed ^ 
 and finally, members stole off* home, so as not to 
 leave a House to hear the Speech of dismissal 
 which the Administrator delivered, as if in con¬ 
 tempt, from the chair. 
 
 The people at large have at last been roused to 
 a just sense of all this trifling and indecency ; they 
 see their property reduced a full half, from the 
 mal-administration of good laws; they see pros¬ 
 perity completely checked ; they witness discon¬ 
 tent and poverty, under the most genial clime, 
 and rooted in the most fertile soil ; they fear sub¬ 
 jection to a foreign power, if war should again be 
 waged ; they dread a separation from the mother 
 country, which they would most grievously la- 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 33 
 
 ment; they wish to make an effort of recovery 
 from all this disgrace and danger; they entreat 
 your instant and earnest aid to assist them. 
 
 Permit me, Sir, to subscribe, this first day of 
 August, in the year of our Lord, one thousand 
 eight hundred and eighteen. 
 
 With every sentiment of respect, your Excellen- 
 r’s most ob’t. humble servant, 
 
 RICHARD BEASLEY. 
 
 cy 
 
 Having likewise been appointed members of a 
 deputation to wait upon his Excellency the Lieut¬ 
 enant-Governor with the same, on his arrival, we 
 have to state, that that event was no sooner an¬ 
 nounced, than it was reported that his Excellency 
 intended to leave York immediately, on a visit to 
 Port Talbot. His Excellency, however, delayed 
 this visit, expecting the arrival of his Grace the 
 Duke of Richmond ; and before we could be aware 
 of this new determination, his Excellency had 
 crossed over with his Grace to view the falls of 
 Niagara; 'and on his return, proceeded immediate¬ 
 ly to Port Talbot. Notwithstanding these de¬ 
 lays, we were not displeased that his Excellency 
 should have time to view and understand the state 
 of the country, before we presented the address, 
 which we had hoped would have taken place before 
 the meeting of Parliament. But here a number of 
 unforeseen delays frustrated our wishes; Mr. Wil¬ 
 liam Kerr, one of the deputation, being on the 
 Grand Jury, was detained a week, at Niagara ; and 
 on his arrival at York, Mr. Beasley had returned to 
 the district of Gore but the evening before, to at¬ 
 tend the Quarter Sessions, and another week elaps¬ 
 ed before his return. This is more to be regret¬ 
 ted, as in the meantime his Excellency the Lieut. 
 Governor, in his speech, animadverted so severely 
 upon the Convention, as almost to preclude a hope 
 that he would receive the address ; nevertheless, 
 not wishing to impute to him a measure so ill-ad¬ 
 vised, we waited upon his Secretary, Major Hil- 
 lier, with a copy of the same, for his Excellency’s 
 perusal, and requesting to know when he would 
 be pleased to receive the address. Whereupon his 
 Excellency was pleased to send for us, requesting 
 to know what we icanted? We replied, that we 
 waited upon him with an address from the repre¬ 
 sentatives of a numerous and respectable body of 
 his Majesty’s loyal subjects in this province. His 
 Excellency was pleased to ask, if we conceived he 
 would receive an address from so unconstitutional 
 a body ; stating, at the same, that he would re¬ 
 ceive petitions from the different townships and dis¬ 
 tricts. To which we replied, that the rneeting was 
 not unconstitutional; at least not in this province. 
 He repeated, that it was, and that we had his an¬ 
 swer ; on which we made our bows, and retired. 
 Nevertheless, being still anxious that his Excel¬ 
 lency might have full time to amend any hasty step 
 he had taken, on his part, we took the liberty of 
 again calling hie attention to the subject, in sub¬ 
 stance as follows: 
 
 Sir— We have to request, that you will be plea¬ 
 sed to lay the enclosed, before his Excellency the 
 Lieut. Governor, for his serious consideration, as 
 affecting very materially, the feelings ot a large 
 portion of his Majesty’s loyal subjects within this 
 province. (Signed) W. J. KERR, 
 
 (Signed) GEO. HAMILTON. 
 
 York, Oct, 23, 1818. 
 
 To Major Hillier, Secretary, York, 
 
 E 
 
 To his Excellency Sir Peregrine Maitland, K. C. 
 
 B. Lieutenant-Governor of the province of Up¬ 
 per Canada, Major-General commanding his Ma¬ 
 jesty’s forces therein, &ic. See. Sic. 
 
 May it please your Excellency: 
 
 The undersigned, a deputation appointed by a nu¬ 
 merous meeting of his Majesty’s loyal subjects, 
 from the different districts within this province, to 
 present to your Excellency a most respectful ad¬ 
 dress, humbly stating to your Excellency, as the 
 representative of his Majesty, the difficullies^they 
 labor under, and requesting your Excellency’s at¬ 
 tention thereto, notwithstanding they have recei¬ 
 ved your Excellency’s determination to reject the 
 same, without even deigning to give it a perusal; 
 and although it may appear highly indecorous in 
 them again to address your Excellency, on the 
 same subject; nevertheless, being most unwilling 
 to state to their constituents the most ungracious 
 reception they have met with, hope that this will 
 plead a sufficient excuse for again calling your Ex¬ 
 cellency’s attention to a serious consideration of 
 the character of those persons, styling themselves 
 
 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NUMEROUS MEETINGS 
 THROUHGHOUT THIS PROVINCE. 
 
 Your Excellency, they trust, will find, on the 
 most strict investigation, that their conduct du- 
 rinor the late war, was most exemplary—that the 
 meeting of the Convention of Friends to Enquiry, 
 although so severely animadverted upon in your 
 Excellency’s Speech from the Throne, and re-ech¬ 
 oed back by one branch of the Legislature, (the 
 House of Commons,) as a systematic attempt to 
 ort^anize sedition, was held in the capital of this 
 province, in the face of day, and in the most open 
 manner—that all their proceedings were immedi¬ 
 ately published—and that the resolutions then en- 
 terered into and maturely deliberated upon were 
 their own act, uninfluenced by any person whatev¬ 
 er_that they beg leave to differ with your Excel¬ 
 
 lency, as to the'inconstitutionality of their pro¬ 
 ceedings : they are confident that the intention of 
 the meeting was upright and laudable, and they 
 conceive them to have been perfectly constitution¬ 
 al, in as much as they are not aware ^ 
 
 rendering such meetings unlawfiil. Indeed, they 
 may infer, from your Excellency’s address to the 
 Legislature on that head, that their constituents 
 hav"e met together, lawfully and coMtitutionally, 
 for the pure purpose of petitioning his Majesty s 
 representative for a redress of grievances; as 
 otherwise there could be no occasion to recom¬ 
 mend the passing an act to declare unlawful such 
 meetings; which the undersigned consider heir 
 dearest and most sacred birth right, and an unalien¬ 
 able privilege secured to »hem bv the virtue of 
 their ancestors. ^^CHARD BEA . 
 
 GEORGE HAMILTON. 
 
 York, Oct. 23, 1818. _ 
 
 To which we received his Secretary’s note in 
 
 rpply • > 
 
 Government House, ( 
 
 York, October SLi, 1818, 7 P. M. S 
 Gentlemen- His Excellency the Lt. Governor 
 being from home when I recewed your oj 
 
 this date, I have not till now had an opportunity 
 of offering to him the paper it enclosed ; which 1 
 have now to return, as his Excellency declines re- 
 ceiving it, for the reasons already stated. 
 
S4 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your most 
 obedient humble serv’t. 
 
 GEORGE HILLIER, Secretary. 
 To W. J. Kerr and G. Hamilton, Esqrs. 
 
 The above closes the conference ; and we trust 
 you will perceive, in our letter to his Excellency, 
 our full seutiments on the occasion. 
 
 We have only, therefore, to add, that we re¬ 
 main, with sentiments of respect, gentlemen, your 
 most ob’t. servants, 
 
 RICHARD BEASLEY, 
 WILLIAM J. KERR, 
 GEORGE HAMILTON. 
 
 PARLIAMEEIVT OF UPPER CANADA. 
 
 Wednesdayy 2,1st October, 
 Mr. Jones moved, that the House do now re¬ 
 solve itself into a committee of the whole, to take 
 into consideration that part of his Excellency’s 
 speech, at the present session, which relates to the 
 meeting of delegates in Convention. Carried. 
 
 Thursdayy 22d October. 
 
 The House went into committee, to take into 
 consideration that part of his Excellency’s speech, 
 at the opening of the present session, which re¬ 
 lates to the meeting of delegates in Convention. 
 
 Mr. Burnham reported, that the committee had 
 agreed to some resolutions, which he was direct¬ 
 ed to submit, for the adoption of the House, which 
 were received and adopted, nem. con., as follows : 
 
 1st. RESOLVED—That the rights of the people 
 of this province, individually, or collectively, to pe¬ 
 tition our gracious Sovereign, for the redress of 
 any public or private grievance, is their birthright 
 as British subjects, preserved to them by that fVee 
 constitution which they have received, and which, 
 by the generous exertions of our mother country[ 
 has, through an arduous contest, been unimpaired. 
 
 2d. Resolved —That the Commons House of As¬ 
 sembly are the only constitutional representatives 
 of the people of this province. 
 
 3d. Resolved— That the electing, assembling, 
 sitting and proceedings of certain persons calling 
 themselves representatives or delegates, from the 
 difterent districts of this province, and met in ge¬ 
 neral Convention, at York, for the purpose of de¬ 
 liberating upon matters of public concern, is hiorh- 
 ly derogatory and repugnant to the spirit of the 
 constitution of this province, and tends greatly to 
 disturb the public tranquility. 
 
 4lh. Resolved— That while this committee re¬ 
 gret, that some subjects of his Majesty, whose al¬ 
 legiance and fidelity are above suspicion, have been 
 deluded by the unwearied and persevering attempts 
 of the factious, to lend their countenances to mea¬ 
 sures so disgraceful, they cannot admit that their 
 example should give a sanction to proceedings man¬ 
 ifestly dangerous to the peace and security of the 
 province ; proceedings which, it is painful and hu¬ 
 miliating to observe, have drawn upon this loyal 
 province, the attention of other countries, and of 
 our sister province, and even of our parent state, 
 as to a colony impatient of its allegiance, and, un¬ 
 grateful for the fostering care that has cherished 
 Its infancy, looking anxiously to the period of its 
 strength, as to the moment of its revolt. 
 
 5th. Resolved —That to repel at once so foul 
 an imputation ; to undeceive the misguided ; to sti¬ 
 fle the hopes of the disturbers of public peace, and 
 to give to our parent state and to the world, the 
 best grounded assurance, that the inhabitants of 
 this province know how to prize their happiness in 
 belonging to the most exalted nation upon earth, 
 and desire no more than the secure possession of 
 
 that just liberty, which her own more immediate 
 children enjoy, it is the opinion of this committee, 
 that some such Legislative provisions should be 
 enacted, (as the wisdom of the Imperial Parlia¬ 
 ment has found it proper to provide, to meet similar 
 occasions,) which may hereafter put it out of the 
 power of any designing persons to organize dis¬ 
 content, and degrade the character of the province. 
 
 filh. Resolved —That these resolutions be com¬ 
 municated to the hon. the Legislative Council. 
 
 Present —Messrs. Burvvell, M’Martin, Van 
 Koughnett, Cameron, Durand, Crysler, Nelles, 
 Howard, Hatt, Jones, Cotter, Swayze, Burnham 
 —13. 
 
 Wednesday2Sih October. 
 
 Mr. Jones obtained leave to bring in a bill to 
 prevent certain meetings in this province, which 
 was read the first time. 
 
 Saturday^ ^Ist October. 
 
 The bill to prevent certain meetings in this pro¬ 
 vince, being read the third time— 
 
 Mr. Van Koughnett moved, that it do now pass, 
 and that it be entitled, “An act to prevent certain 
 meetings w ithin this province upon which the 
 House divided, and the Yeas and Nays taken, as 
 follows :— Yeas,, Messrs. Swayze, Fraser, Cotter, 
 Clench, Halt, Van Koughnett, Durand, Burnham, 
 Cameron, Robinson, Howard, Jones, Nelles— 13. 
 — JVays, Mr. Casey—carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of 12, and the bill signed. 
 
 act for 'preventing certain Meetings within this 
 province. 
 
 Whereas, the election or appointment of As¬ 
 semblies, purporting to represent the people, or 
 any description of the people, under pretence of 
 deliberating on matters of public concern, or of 
 preparing or presenting petitions, complaints, re¬ 
 monstrances and declarations, and other addresses, 
 to the King, or to both or either House of Parlia¬ 
 ment, for alteration of matters established by law, 
 or redress of alleged grievances in church or state, 
 may be made use of to serve the end of factious 
 and seditious persons, to the violation of the pub¬ 
 lic peace, and manifest encouragement of riot, tu¬ 
 mult and disorder. 
 
 It is hereby enacted, That all such assemblies, 
 committees, or other bodies of persons elected, or 
 otherwise constituted or appointed, shall be held 
 and taken to be unlaw’ful assemblies ; and that all 
 persons giving or publishing notice of the election 
 to be made of such persons, or delegates, or at¬ 
 tending, voting or acting by any means, are guil¬ 
 ty of a high misdemeanor. 
 
 Provided ahvays, That nothing in this act con¬ 
 tained, shall impede the just exercise of the un¬ 
 doubted right of his Majesty’s subjects, to petition 
 the King or Parliament, for redress of any public 
 or private grievances. 
 
35 
 
 CHRONICLES 
 York, SLlth JVov., 1818. 
 
 At 3 o’clock this day, his Excellency the Lieuten¬ 
 ant-Governor proceeded in state, to the Legis¬ 
 lative Council chamber, where the House of 
 Assembly having been summoned to attend, his 
 Excellency gave the Royal assent to the bills 
 mentioned below, and closed the session with 
 the following Speech : 
 
 Honorable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and 
 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly: 
 
 It does not appear that any alteration has oc¬ 
 curred, in the slate of his Majesty’s indisposition. 
 
 You have afforded seasonable aid to the consti¬ 
 tution, by your bill entitled An act for prevent’ 
 ing certain meetings within this province.^* It is a 
 subject for deep regret, that the constitution should 
 have stood in need of such aid ; but let us hope that 
 the good disposition of his Majesty’s subjects will 
 put an early period to this unhappy necessity. 
 
 If any portion of the people of this province be 
 indeed aggrieved, they are well aware that a duti¬ 
 ful petition, proceeding from themselves, would 
 ■find easy access to the foot of his Majesty s throne. 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly: 
 
 I thank you, in the name of his Majesty, for the 
 supplies vou have granted for the service of the 
 current and of the ensuing year. 
 
 OF CANADA. 
 
 In future, I hope to relieve you from the annual 
 demand for the support of the Surveyor General’s 
 department. 
 
 You have added to the character of the province, 
 by the unanimous expression of sentiments which 
 are highly worthy of the enlightened representa¬ 
 tives of a free and generous people. I could not 
 refuse myself the pleasure of transmitting your re¬ 
 solutions, to his Majesty’s Government, well con¬ 
 vinced that they would prove grateful to the Roy¬ 
 al personage who presides over it; and confident 
 that they will be received with affectionate appro¬ 
 bation, by every description of your fellow subjects 
 in the mother country. 
 
 Honorable Gentlemen, and Gentlemen: 
 
 There are a few objects of general importance, 
 which, had the public mind been tranquil, I should 
 have brought before you, early in the session. Of 
 these I shall mention one, which appears to me to 
 require, in a peculiar degree, your calin and deli¬ 
 berate consideration : 1 mean the providing of a 
 remedy for the unequal pressure of the road laws. 
 By offering, at present, this subject to your notice, 
 I hope to benefit by the attention you will be 
 pleased to bestow upon it, during the recess. 
 
 After which, the honorable the Speaker of the 
 Legislative Council announced, that the Parlia¬ 
 ment was prorogued to the 2d of January next. 
 
 
 532,5:2 
 
 Here was an end to enquiry into the state of the public affairsf that it should be denominated “The 
 
 province, and here was confirmed a system of despo¬ 
 tism, which nothing but insurrection caused to be put 
 
 doton. . 
 
 JVoic that twenty four years have elapsed since 
 these occurrences: now that another system has been 
 established; and now that matters can be judged of 
 calmly and dispassionately, it is well to review the 
 whole, so as to determine where teas truth, where false¬ 
 hood and error, for the benefit of futurity. 
 
 Up to the. year 1818, there had been no instance, 
 
 I believe, of any thing akin to sedition being known 
 in Lower Canada; and the war had weeded from 
 the upper province, every individual who was sedi¬ 
 tious. They had either gone quietly off, or openly 
 taken up arms; and the members of Convention were 
 absolutely the elite 0/ the most loyal part ofthepo- 
 pulation. 
 
 I Robert Gourlat, who advised that Convention, 
 now Robert Fleming Gourlav, challenge scrutiny 
 into its every transaction: and I assert, that not one 
 word in the above record affords evidence of sedition, 
 but the contrary. JVevertheless, a Lieutenant-Go¬ 
 vernor no sooner arrives in the province than he (by 
 advice, no doubt of his Council and the Colonial de¬ 
 partment,) declares war against this Convention—a 
 Convention which had resolved, “ the better to denote 
 the purity of its object, as well as distinguish it 
 from Conventions formed to control and command 
 
 Upper Ca!Sadian uonvkntion 
 qtJiRY.” He refuses to see the depitatiori’-three Ma- 
 gistrates^ond anon, we find him justified in this 
 most illiberal and vneourteous conduct, by assertions 
 and insinuations of the Assembly, base in the extreme, 
 false and malignant. On these we find an act pasS’ 
 ed, to deprive the people of their right to meet by de- 
 legation’-the only mode of transacting any kind of 
 public business, peaceably and effectually: and we 
 find the Lieutenant Governor, in his closing speech, 
 telling Parliament, that it has afforded seasonable 
 aid to the Constitution;^ by An act for preventing 
 certain meetings,” and telling gentlemen of the 
 House of Assembly, that they have added to the 
 character of the province, by the unanimous express- 
 ion of sentiments, highly worthy of the enlightened re¬ 
 presentatives of a free and generous people." Fur¬ 
 ther, expressing pleasure in transmitting tlieir reso¬ 
 lutions to his Majesty's Government, well convin¬ 
 ced, that they would prove grateful to the Royal per- 
 
 sonagd'!! . 
 
 Thus fortified, what does this Lieutenant Cover- 
 nor do ? He first puU out of the Commission of the 
 Peace, all Magistrates throughout the province, who 
 had beenfiiendly to my measures, except such aschose 
 to sign a mean recantation of their principles; and 
 after an order was received from home, to grant 
 lands to militiamen, for their services in war, he 
 
36 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 takes vpon himself to deny this grant to those who 
 were ’ineinhers of the Convention. From them it was 
 wit)iheld for seven years, and not yielded till the 
 4lovse of Assembly took vp the svhject, passed a se¬ 
 ries of resolutions, and addressed his Excellency 
 thereon. 
 
 To complete this record, 1 extract, below, from the 
 Journals of the Assembly, the resolutions, with the 
 votes on amendment: also, the Assembly's address 
 to his Majesty, and the JJeutenant Governor's reply, 
 pledging himself to transmit the same. 
 
 Coiiiiiious House of Assembly, 
 
 January Wth, 1826. 
 
 Agreeably to the order of the day, the House 
 went into committee, on the state of the province. 
 Mr. Scollick was called to the chair. 
 
 The House resumed. 
 
 Mr. Scollick reported, that the committee had 
 agreed to a series of resolutions, which he was 
 directed to submit for the adoption of the House, 
 and asked leave to sit again to-morrow. 
 
 The report was ordered to be received, and leave 
 was granted accordingly. 
 
 The first resolution was then read, as follows : 
 Resolved, That many who were conspicuous 
 during the late war, for their firm attachment 
 to his Majesty, and for their zeal and loyalty in 
 the defence of this province, were connected with 
 the Convention of 1818, formed by the people, to 
 seek, by petition to the throne, for the redress of 
 grievances. 
 
 In amendment, Mr. Attorney General, seconded 
 by Mr. C. Jones, moves, that after the word re¬ 
 solved,” in the original resolution, the remaining 
 words be expunged, and the following words in¬ 
 serted—**That this House is satisfied, that the po¬ 
 litical principles and plans of Mr. Gourlay, are hos¬ 
 tile to the Government of this country, and that 
 no good and loyal subject can hesitate to declare 
 his entire disapprobation of them; and that any 
 persons who still vindicate and avow them, are 
 unworthy the confidence of the Government or 
 people of this province; although the House is 
 convinced, that by far the greater number of those 
 who acted with him, in this country, were, at the 
 time, unconscious of the tendency of his measures.” 
 
 On which the House divided, and the yeas and 
 nays being taken, were as follows : 
 
 Yeas —Messrs. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crysler, Gordon, C. Jones, D. 
 Jones, J. Jones, McDonell, Morris, and Van 
 Koughnet—12. 
 
 JS'ays —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, 
 Beasley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, 
 Hornor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, 
 Playter, Randal, Rolph, Scollick, Thompson, 
 Thomson, Wilkinson, and Wilson—21. 
 
 The question was decided in the negative, by a 
 majority of nine, and lost accordingly. 
 
 The original resolution, as reported by the com¬ 
 mittee on the state of the province, was then put, 
 on which the House divided, and the yeas and nays 
 being taken, were as follows : 
 
 Yeas —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Burnham, Cameron, Clark, Coleman, Fother¬ 
 gill, Hamilton, Hornor, C. Jones, D. Jones, Lef- 
 fbrty, Matthews, McBride, Morris, Perry, Playter, 
 
 Randal, Rolph, Thompson, Thomson, Van Kough¬ 
 net, Wilkinson, and Wilson—26. 
 
 JVays —Messrs. Attorney General, Burke, Cry¬ 
 sler, J. Jones, McDonell, and Scollick—6. 
 
 The question was carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of twenty, and it was 
 
 Resolved, That many who were conspicuous 
 during the late war, for their firm attachment to 
 his Majesty, and for their zeal and loyalty in the 
 defence of this province, were connected with the 
 Convention of 1818, formed by the people, to 
 seek, by petition to the throne, for the redress of 
 grievances. 
 
 The second resolution was then read, as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the promised bounty in land, 
 of his Inte most gracious Majesty, on account of 
 meritorious service during the late war, has been 
 withheld from some persons entitled to it, on ac¬ 
 count of their connexion with the said Convention, 
 although they never have been tried by any lawful 
 or constitutional tribunal whatsoever, for the part 
 they acted. 
 
 In amendment, Mr. Morris, seconded by Mr.Van 
 Koughnet, moves, that after the word “Conven¬ 
 tion,” in the original resolution, the remaining 
 words be expunged. 
 
 On which the House divided, and the yeas and 
 nays being taken, were as follows ; 
 
 leas—Slessrs. Attorney General, Burke, Burn¬ 
 ham, Cameron, C. Jones, D. Jones, J. Jones, Mor¬ 
 ris, McDonell, Van Koughnet, and Walsh—11. 
 
 JVays —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Clark, Coleman, Crysler, Fothergill, Hamilton, 
 Hornor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, Play¬ 
 ter, Randal, Rolph, Scollick, Thompson, Thom¬ 
 son, Wilkinson, and Wilson—22. 
 
 The question was decided in the negative, by a 
 majority of eleven, and was lost accordingly. 
 
 The original question was then put, on which 
 the House divided, and the yeas and nays being 
 taken, were as follows : 
 
 Yeas —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, Hor¬ 
 nor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, Playter, 
 Randal, Rolph, Thompson, Thomson, Wilkinson, 
 and Wilson—20. 
 
 JV'*a7/s—Messrs. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crysler, Gordon, C. Jones, D. 
 Jones, J. Jones, McDonell, Morris, Scollick, Van 
 Koughnet, and Walsh—14. 
 
 The question was carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of six, and it was 
 
 Resolved, That the promised bounty in land, 
 of his late most gracious Majesty, on account of 
 meritorious service during the late war, has been 
 withheld from some persons entitled to it, on ac¬ 
 count of their connexion w’ith the said Convention, 
 although they never have been tried by any lawful 
 or constitutional tribunal whatsoever, for the part 
 they acted. 
 
 The third resolution was then read, as follows : 
 
 Resolved, That this House is satisfied of the 
 loyajty and patriotism of such delegates, (to Con¬ 
 vention, 1818,) and the purity of the intentions of 
 the people who appointed them ; while the with¬ 
 holding from such meritorious persons the pro¬ 
 mised and w’ell earned bounty of their Sovereign, 
 on account of their exertions to procure a redress 
 of public grievances, implies a serious and unme¬ 
 rited imputation, which not only affects them and 
 their posterity, but also the people who appointed 
 them. 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 37 
 
 In amendment, Mr. C. Jones, seconded by Mr. 
 Gordon, moves, that after the word “that,” in the 
 original resolution, the following be inserted—'* in 
 the opinion of this House, Robert Gourlay was the 
 principal instigator of the Convention ; and that 
 his principles are Republican in the extreme, and 
 adverse to our Monarchical, free and most glori¬ 
 ous constitution ; and although it was no doubt 
 his intention to mislead, yet,” &lc. &lc. &,c. 
 
 On which the House divided, and the yeas and 
 nays being taken, were as follows : 
 
 Yeas —Messrs. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crysler, Gordon, C. Jones, J. 
 Jones, McDonell, VanKoughnet and Walsh— 11 . 
 
 JYays —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, 
 Beasley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, 
 Horner, D. Jones, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, 
 Morris, Perry, Playter, Randal, Rolph, Scollick, 
 Thompson, Thomson, Wilkinson and Wilson—23. 
 
 The question was decided in the negative, by a 
 majority of twelve, and lost accordingly. 
 
 The original question was then put, on which 
 the House divided, and the yeas and nays being 
 taken, were as follows : 
 
 Yeas —Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, Hor- 
 nor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, Playter, 
 Randal, Rolph, Thompson, Thomson, Wilkinson, 
 and Wilson— 20 . 
 
 JYai/s —Messrs. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crysler, Gordon, C. Jones, D. 
 Jones, J. Jones, McDonell, Morris, Scollick, Van 
 Koughnet, and Walsh—14. 
 
 The question was carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of six, and it was 
 
 Resolved, That this House is satisfied of the 
 loyalty and patriotism of such delegates, and the 
 purity of the intentions of the people who appoint¬ 
 ed them, while the withholding from such merito¬ 
 rious persons, the promised and well earned bounty 
 of their Sovereign, on account of their exertions 
 to procure a redress of public grievances, implies 
 serious and unmerited imputation, which not only 
 affects them and their posterity, but also the peo¬ 
 ple who appointed them. 
 
 The fourth resolution was then put, on which 
 the House divided, and the yeas and nays being 
 taken, were as follows : 
 
 Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, Hor- 
 nor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, Playter, 
 Randal, Rolph. Thompson, Thomson, Wilkinson, 
 and Wilson— 20 . 
 
 J\*ays—Messrs. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crvsler, Gordon, C. Jones, D. 
 Jones, J, Jones, McDonell, Morris, Scollick, Van 
 Koughnet, and Walsh—14. 
 
 The question was carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of six, and it was 
 Resolved, That to withdraw the gracious pro¬ 
 mise given from the throne, on such a ground, 
 bespeaks a system, the direct tendency and conse¬ 
 quence of which, is the prevention of the free ex¬ 
 pression of public opinion against public grievan¬ 
 ces, however great, and the sacrifice of those who 
 exert themselves for their redress. 
 
 The fifth resolution was then put, on which the 
 House divided, and the yeas and nays being taken, 
 were as follows: , i 
 
 Feos—Messrs. Atkinson, Baby, Beardsley, Beas¬ 
 ley, Clark, Coleman, Fothergill, Hamilton, Hor- 
 
 nor, Lefferty, Matthews, McBride, Perry, Playter, 
 Randal, Rolph, Thompson,*Thomson, Wilkinson, 
 and Wilson—20. 
 
 J\\tys--MessTS. Attorney General, Burnham, 
 Burke, Cameron, Crysler, Gordon, C. Jones, D. 
 Jones, J. Jones, McDonell, Morris, Scollick, Van 
 oughnet and Walsh—14. 
 
 The question was carried in the affirmative, by 
 a majority of six, and it was 
 
 Resolved, That an humble address, grounded 
 on the foregoing resolutions, be presented to his 
 Majesty, representing the claim of such persons 
 to receive the promised bounty in land, according 
 to their rank in the militia. 
 
 Address. 
 
 To the Ring’s most Excellent Majesty. 
 
 Most Gracious Sovereign ; 
 
 We, your Majesty’s loyal and dutiful subjects, 
 the Commons of Upper Canada, in Provincial Par¬ 
 liament assembled, beg leave humbly to approach 
 your Majesty, with feelings of gratitude for the 
 share we enjoy in the liberality of your Imperial 
 Government, and the glories of your illustrious 
 reign. 
 
 We would most humbly represent, that many 
 who were conspicuous during the late war, for 
 their firm attachment to your Majesty, and for 
 their zeal and loyalty in the defence of this pro¬ 
 vince, were connected wdth the Convention of 
 1818, formed by the people, to seek, by petition to 
 the Throne, for the redress of grievances; and 
 that the promised bounty in lands, of your most 
 gracious Majesty, on account of such meritorious 
 services, has been withheld from some persons en¬ 
 titled to it, on account of their connexion with the 
 said Convention ; although they never have been 
 tried by any lawfiil or constitutional tribunal, for 
 the part they acted. 
 
 We further beg leave bumbly to represent, that 
 we are fully satisfied of the loyalty and patriotisrn 
 of such persons, and the purity of the intention of 
 the people who appointed them as delegates to 
 such Convention, while we cannot otherwise than 
 painfully regard the withholding from such merit¬ 
 orious persons, the promised and well earned boun¬ 
 ty of their Sovereign, on account of their exertions 
 to procure redress of public grievances, as imply- 
 intr a serious and unmerited imputation, which 
 no”t only affects them and their posterity, but also 
 the people who appointed them. 
 
 Nor do we less feel, most gracious Sovereign, 
 that the withdrawing the gracious promise given 
 from the Throne, on such a ground, by the Provin¬ 
 cial Government, bespeaks a system, the direct 
 tendency and consequence of which is, the preven¬ 
 tion of the free expression of public opinion against 
 public grievances, however great, and the sacrifice 
 of those who exert themselves for their redress. 
 
 Permit us, tlierefore, most gracious Sovereign, 
 humbly to represent the expediency and justice of 
 confirming to all such persons, the promised grant 
 of land for their meritorious services; and ot re¬ 
 moving what we cannot but regard as the conti¬ 
 nued expression of the Royal displeasure towards 
 some of your most faithful subjects, who only ex¬ 
 ercised the right of petitioning against public grie¬ 
 vances, the existence of which is equally inconsis¬ 
 tent with the happiness of the people, and the 
 honor of the Crown : and remote as the people of 
 this province are from the seat of your Imperial 
 
38 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 Goverpfnent, we hold the right of so offering our 
 petitj^Ins to the Throne, as one of those inestima- 
 ble^iberties wiiich we most humbly hope will 
 D^er be abridged. 
 
 Reply of tlie Lieiiteiiaiit Oovcriior. 
 
 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly: 
 
 I will transmit to his Majesty, your address 
 against the principle of withholding the King’s 
 bounty of lands from the officers of militia w’ho w'ere 
 members of the Convention of 1818—a principle 
 which has been entirely approved of, by his Majes¬ 
 ty’s Government. I feel it due to myself and to 
 the House of Assembly, to state explicitly, that, 
 as a long interval has since elapsed, I shall deem 
 it necessary, at the same time, to assure his Majes¬ 
 ty, that I fully concur w'ith the House of Assembly, 
 that many who were conspicuous during the late 
 war, for their firm attachment to his Majesty, and 
 for their zeal and loyalty in the defence of this 
 province, were connected with the Convention; 
 and that I have, in common with the House of 
 Assembly of that period, expressed my deep regret 
 that they were so connected : That I am equally 
 convinced, that many individuals, whatever may 
 have been their previous character or conduct, who 
 were for a time so far imposed upon as to become 
 
 promoters of the Convention, did not entertain 
 designs hostile to the constitution, or to the peac^ 
 of the country : That I have shewn my readiness 
 to discriminate, whenever, upon the application of 
 the party, satisfactory circumstances have enabled 
 me to do so; and that I have not felt that I could 
 properly go beyond this, without disregarding 
 what was due to the best interests of society, and 
 to the sense of the Legislature, strongly and ex¬ 
 pressly declared, at that period. 
 
 I shall, at the same time, solicit the attention of 
 his Majesty to the resolutions of the House of 
 Assembly, and the act of the Legislature, passed 
 when the occurrences to which they refer, were 
 recent, and when the proceedings of the Conven¬ 
 tion of delegates, and their consequences, could be 
 most correctly appreciated. 
 
 I shall also feel it my duty to make his Majesty 
 aware, that there is so little room for an implica¬ 
 tion, that the acknowledged right of the people to 
 petition for redress of grievances, has been ever 
 interfered with, or attempted to be controlled, that 
 a recommendation to leave it free and unrestrain¬ 
 ed, in any measure which it might be deemed pro¬ 
 per to enact, was given from the Throne, and care¬ 
 fully observed by the Legislature. 
 
 RECAPITULATION AND CONCLUSION. 
 
 With these last documents exhibited, we have 
 now a complete case for judgment; and an impor¬ 
 tant one it is—not for me only, but for all; for 
 the maintenance of truth, the rights of man, aye, 
 and the duties. 
 
 At a meeting of inhabitants of Niagara town¬ 
 ship—a member of Parliament in the chair—it is 
 resolved to follow my advice, and send to England 
 a petition. 
 
 Nothing can be more orderly than the course 
 pursued; nevertheless, a Legislative Councillor 
 addresses the public, to generate groundless sus¬ 
 picions, cause false alarms, and countenance ab¬ 
 surd doctrines. The good sense of the people 
 speedily sets this aside, and measures are proceed¬ 
 ed with. 
 
 Delegates from all the townships of the district 
 meet, transact business, agree to resolutions, and 
 appoint a committee of management. 
 
 The committee causes a pamphlet to be pub¬ 
 lished. lam arrested for this, to be tried ; and 
 delegates meet in Convention, when I advise de¬ 
 lay till after my trial;—till after Parliament meets, 
 and till the people are better informed. 
 
 I am tried, and honorably acquitted : the lega¬ 
 lity of all established ; and at a public dinner there 
 is rejoicing, and confident expectation, that all will 
 now proceed peaceably and well. 
 
 Parliament being met, the Lieutenant Governor 
 points to sedition, which no where exists; and 
 proposes a law to circumscribe public liberty. The 
 Legislative Council is wary in reply ; but repre¬ 
 sentatives of the people become ready tools of op¬ 
 pression, and smitten with indignation^ draw a 
 bill of indictment against their constituents. 
 
 A deputation from the Convention begs to be 
 heard, on the part of the people ; but courtesy is 
 disregarded: and three gentlemen—Magistrates, 
 
 and distinguished for loyalty—are spurned from 
 the presence of the Governor. 
 
 Finally, an act is passed, at once libelling the 
 people and depriving them of means to appeal to 
 the sovereign power,—an act so shameful, that the 
 same Parliament repealed it, March 7, 1820, as 
 inexpedient,'^ In fact, by that time it had ac¬ 
 complished its end. 1 was banished, and worse 
 than murdered, under its deadly shade. 
 
 The resolutions, preparatory to this villanous 
 act, are too loathsome to be dwelt on ; but it is 
 well to expose the lying pretence, that the Impe¬ 
 rial Parliament had, “ to meet similar occasionsf 
 resorted to “ some such legislation," The Imperial 
 Parliament never did any thing so base, although 
 the Irish Parliament did ; and soon after sold its 
 own existence, through the agency of a man who 
 put a period to his own. 
 
 The act w’as unconstitutional, as all acts are, 
 which mock common sense, and counteract the 
 grand principles of liberty. It would have justi¬ 
 fied rebellion ; which never can be justified, so 
 long as the people are permitted to meet peaceably, 
 by delegate, for the expression of opinion, and car¬ 
 rying out lawful objects. 
 
 The repeal of this act, left the people of Canada 
 without excuse, in taking up arms against the Go¬ 
 vernment : and asking for a Convention, as Mc¬ 
 Kenzie did, when Sir Francis B. Head sent him a 
 flag of truce, was among the silly doings of his 
 low and blackguard outbreak. The people had 
 then a right to meet in Convention, unasked for; 
 but, unfortunately, they had no leader—no one to 
 guide them in wisdom’s ways—“ in paths of peace.” 
 
 The Home Government does not prevent Char¬ 
 tists from meeting, by delegate, in Convention. 
 Even their mob meetings are not checked, when 
 peaceable. The mob meeting, at Thorold, three 
 years ago—called a Durham Meeting” —was 
 
CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 39 
 
 lawfijl, with its flags and absurd resolutions : nor 
 did Sir George Arthur refuse an audience and re¬ 
 ply to its three deputies, though not one of them 
 was in the Commission of the Peace : in fact, cour¬ 
 tesy is cheap, and always expedient. 
 
 The mob meeting —alias Durham meeting—on 
 Yonge-street, was most wrongfully opposed by the 
 Sheriff; and its bloody record will long mark the 
 spirit of the Compact, now, happily, humbled in 
 
 the dust. , 
 
 In short, to meet in any place, at any time, and 
 in any number, is a right of man, acknowdedged, 
 acted on, and never interfered with, when peace 
 is not endangered, at home. To submit to de¬ 
 legation, is a duty of man—because no business can 
 be matured by a multitude; and when delegates 
 are chosen, there is a beginning of order, a hope 
 of good, and the best opportunity for calm discus¬ 
 sion, and sound conclusion. 
 
 In England, county meetings are called by the 
 Sheriff, on requisition. He presides, verifies re¬ 
 solutions and petitions, which are received by the 
 Sovereign or Parliament, as regular proceedings, 
 demanding respect—not in courtesy, but mughL 
 proceedings of mob meetings, are received only 
 in courtesy ; and proceedings—resolutions or peti¬ 
 tions—of regularly appointed delegates, are more 
 worthy of being courteously received, as the ac¬ 
 tors can better be identified—better be conversed 
 or corresponded with. 
 
 Meetings of delegates, may be called a Conven¬ 
 tion, a Congress, or a Conference : it matters not 
 what the name is. Such meetings may either be 
 re<Tularly constituted under the law of the land, for 
 certain ends, as, in the United States, Conventions 
 are reo-ularlv appointed, from time to time, to draw 
 up and amend State constitutions : or, they may be 
 constituted, at pleasure, by any set of men sim¬ 
 ply to express their xoill, or effect any lawful pur¬ 
 pose. Between these kinds of meetings there is 
 a clear distinction; and in the United States, 
 where Conventions are constantly holding, there 
 is never either doubt or danger from confounding 
 the one with the other. Conventions, in the Uni¬ 
 ted States, are the safety valves by which the ig¬ 
 norance and vehemence of that country are kept 
 from doing harm ; and in the course of time ex 
 perience, yet much wanted there, will mature all 
 
 '“'iCtng banished, and the gafrffing law repealed 
 there was a general election. 1820, the result of 
 which was thus reported, in British newspapers. 
 
 We learn that the late election for membeis of 
 Parliament for Upper Canada, has terminated in 
 the almost unanimous choice of persons P 
 
 litical friends of Mr. Gourlay. It mould aj^ear 
 from this, that the popular voice is against the ad¬ 
 ministration.^'* . ^ 1 ..J 
 
 If this was true, how easy was it for my politi 
 cal friends to follow up ‘he.object of the Conven¬ 
 tion, and invite a Commission of Enquiry from 
 Emrland. I felt confident that they would ; and, 
 . after redeeming my pledge, by printing 
 of Statistics, put to press in London, a 
 lume, preparatory to enquiry, without which Ka 
 this volume would prove but a will-o -the-wisp. 
 Alas! on “ the tenth day of SepUmber, eighteen hun¬ 
 dred and twentyone,"^ I had reason to regret my 
 
 confidence; and from that day, all was ruin and 
 wretchedness, with my work, myself, and the pro- 
 • - ‘‘political friends” proved good for 
 
 nothing but confirming despotism ; and it was not 
 till after another election that they had spirit even 
 to move for the land unjustly withheld from those 
 who were members of the Convention, as record¬ 
 ed above. 
 
 “See general Introduction to Statistical Account of 
 
 '^Tsee'pTge^’&wf vol^i Statistical Account of Up- 
 per Canada. 
 
 Tliese last recorded documents complete the 
 case for judgment; and I would invoke the grav¬ 
 est consideration to what follows. 
 
 Let it be premised, that the Attorney-General 
 is not to be viewed merely as an individual, but as 
 the mouth piece of the local Government, and, in 
 all probability, writer of Sir Peregrine Maitland’s 
 speeches, first and last exhibited. 
 
 The first resolution of the Assembly, 1826, is 
 assailed, through nie, whose principles and 
 plans'' the Attorney General declares hostile to 
 the Government," &t.c. He maintains a tissue of 
 falsehood prejudicial to my character, after his 
 myrmidons had twice failed, in Courts of Justice, 
 to prove aught against me ; and after my charac¬ 
 ter and conduct, both at home and abroad, had 
 been fully vindicated—first on the warrant above 
 copied out, and again on a false warrant, shame¬ 
 lessly acted on; after, too, he himself had plead¬ 
 ed against me, while palpably enfeebled with cruel 
 imprisonment, which imprisonment the United 
 Parliament has unanimously found “ illegal, uncon¬ 
 stitutional, and without excuse or palliation." 
 
 Nor is he discomfitted by one vote of the As¬ 
 sembly, and after members of Convention are ac¬ 
 quitted of crime—members who hud never been 
 tried by any lawful or constitutional tribunal what¬ 
 ever," but, voting for the amendment on the third 
 resolution, he remains steadfast in malignity, es¬ 
 tablishing only one truth, that “ Robert Gourlay 
 was the principal instigator of the Convention" —a 
 truth which Robert Gourlay is ever proud to ack¬ 
 nowledge. 
 
 Members of Convention, my ** political friends, 
 unscathed by three amendments, scandalizing me 
 and decency, have yet to run the gauntlet, perti¬ 
 naciously opposed by the Attorney General and 
 
 his tail. , 7 , ^ 
 
 Finally, the Assembly ** begs leavehumbly to ap¬ 
 proach" his Majestv. Humbly approach, indeed ! 
 praying for land unjustly withheld ten years,after 
 the lapse of six, wherein my political friends" 
 should have stood up manfully asserting their 
 rierhts, those of the people, and mine, most of all, 
 trodden down—stood up to re-organize the Con¬ 
 vention, or stop supplies till an address to the 
 Throne was carried home by Commissioners—not 
 sent home by a Lieutenant Governor, who could 
 misrepresent every fact, and disguise every fea- 
 
 ture. - 
 
 But what was the immediate consequence ot 
 their humble approach, through him?—a denial of 
 the principle" asserted by the Assembly, and an 
 openly declared confirmation of despotism ! 
 
 We here see the Lieutenant Governor, not ad-* 
 mittint** ^'‘serious and.unmerited imputation," aflfect- 
 imr not only ‘‘them and their posterity, but also the 
 veiyple who appointed them"—not admitting “ a sys¬ 
 tem, the direct tendency of which is the prevention of 
 the free expression of opinion but the contrary. 
 We «ee a declared purpose, to hold members of 
 Convention up to his Majesty as objects of pity, 
 and pleaders for pardon— individuals who were, 
 for a time, so far imposed ufon as to become promo- 
 
40 
 
 CHRONICLES OF CANADA. 
 
 ters of the Convention:^ We see a declared prac¬ 
 tice —** readiness to discriminate whenever^ vpon ap- 
 pMcation of the parti/, satisfactory circumstances 
 have enabled'^ the Lieutenant Governor—to do 
 what?—grant favors, when the party became suf¬ 
 ficiently humble and sycophantic to do his bidding, 
 on all occasions, regardless of duty, principle, or 
 truth. 
 
 He then goes on to say, that he will solicit the 
 attention of his Majesty to the resolutions of the 
 House of Assembly, and the act of the Legislature, 
 passed when the occurrences to which they refer, toere 
 recent:^ and, to be sure, nothing could be better 
 than these resolutions and that act, to confirm his 
 Majesty in error. I characterised them before; 
 but now that they are a second time put to use, af¬ 
 ter the lapse of eight years, it is worth while, dis¬ 
 gusting as the task may be, to expose more clear¬ 
 ly their craft, their fallacy, and their falsehood. 
 
 The objects of the Convention were very sim¬ 
 ple—to obtain land for militiamen, payment for 
 losses in war, and intjuiry into abuses, particular¬ 
 ly what related to the disposal of wild land. The 
 Convention was composed, as already said, of the 
 elite of the most loyal population ; and there were 
 only two of them who proved recreant, when met 
 to send home a Commission, with petitions, to the 
 Prince Regent. All that was to be done, would 
 have been accomplished in one day, but for the an¬ 
 noyance of these two individuals—the grossest 
 part of whose acting, it was determined, for the 
 sake of decency, should not be published in the 
 transactions, although I have still by me a news¬ 
 paper publication, which may be seen if called for, 
 as a sample of grossness. The writer of it, who 
 was supplanted by his constituents afterwards, 
 confessed, that he obtained a grant of land from 
 Government, for what he did. This was so outra¬ 
 geous, that nothing but madness could find apolo¬ 
 gy ; and sure enough the individual died, after 
 years of confinement, in a mad house. 
 
 The other individual, being a lawyer, managed 
 less grossly, but more deceitfully ; and finally fin- 
 nished his career in the United States, still worse 
 circumstanced. With all their faults, however, 
 these men were loyal; and one had displayed the 
 utmost courage in defence of the country, during 
 war. 
 
 It will be seen, by the published transactions, 
 that one effort of these two, was to get the Con¬ 
 
 vention to yield up its business of sending home 
 petitions to the House of Assembly; and Mr. Jo¬ 
 nas Jones, with others, had, at township meetings, 
 endeavored to make believe, that the House of As¬ 
 sembly only, had such right. It was highly im¬ 
 portant, for the liberty of the subject, to maintain 
 the contrary ; and it wull be seen, that the Con¬ 
 vention did maintain this principle, although it ex¬ 
 pressed hope and afforded opportunity, that the 
 Assembly might render acting upon it unnecessary, 
 by doing the business. 
 
 The Assembly’s resolutions, first and last, goto 
 extinguish the people’s light, and to substitute its 
 will, in lieu thereof. Nay, its resolutions, and ad¬ 
 dresses thereon, are so w’orded as to make appear, 
 that the Convention was seditiously and treasona¬ 
 bly arrogating rights and powers, which belong¬ 
 ed only to the Assembly—a position false and dan¬ 
 gerous in the extreme; and to be sure, the As¬ 
 sembly and Lieutenant Governor in concert, play 
 at hocus pocus so adroitly, as to confirm all they 
 want as true, in the eyes of the Sovereign, so as 
 to obtain the Sovereign’s authority for extinction 
 of the people’s most essential right—that oy irect 
 petitioning. ^ 
 
 The concluding paragraph of the Reply, exhib¬ 
 its a master piece of deception and impudence. 
 As if there was a want of positive evidence, that 
 the people’s most essential right had been taken 
 away, by an unconstitutional act, attention is 
 drawn to implication and, in the very act of 
 strangling liberty a recommendation to leave it 
 free and unrestrained:^ is held out as given from 
 the Throne, and carefully observed by the Leicisla- 
 ture! /” 
 
 I question if ever before there was such a sam¬ 
 ple of bare faced recorded villany. All, too, from 
 beginning to end of the Reply, contradicting, in 
 the most express terms, every item of the Assem¬ 
 bly’s Address. But Parliament was being pro¬ 
 rogued : there was no opportunity left for remon¬ 
 strance ; and before next meeting, the loyal mi¬ 
 litia men, who had been so long and grossly wrong¬ 
 ed, sat down contended with their dirty acres. 
 
 Thank God, I have lived till the present day, to 
 publish these Chronicles, and to protest againsl the 
 whole—not for myself—not for Canada—not for 
 time; but for all, and for eternity : yes, it is by 
 such records only that truth can finally triumph, 
 and salvation be obtained. 
 
 Erratum —Page 1, for ‘‘c’y” —read, Halifax.’* 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 The above subject is not exhausted; but this work will proceed, as soon 
 as health and public support permit. Another number tcill complete the 
 subject on hand; and then, succeeding numbers tcill discuss distinct sub¬ 
 jects—all of them importatit, at this juncture. Should the icork be proceed¬ 
 ed with, the Publisher will be able to afford it at half the present charge — 
 One Shilling. 
 
 St. Catharines, September 28, 1842. 
 

 
 MAN IS A RECORDING ANIMAL; and this indeed is the best 
 definition of him. Inferior animals communicate, by voice and by 
 signal, over space; but, through time, have no medium of intelligence, 
 and from generation, to generation remain the same. They are in¬ 
 deed the beasts that perish; but man is the aspirant to excellence and 
 the candidate for immortality. His spirit, though cradled in weak¬ 
 ness and surrounded with difficulty, is destined to gain the ascendant 
 and to triumph over every ill,—to enjoy a rational millenium on earth 
 and at last to hold converse with Heaven. 
 
 Such has been my fate, during the last twenty-one years, that I 
 should not even know myself, but for records;—should not distinctly re¬ 
 member where I have been, how employed, who with, and of what 
 thinking;—should never be able to maintain my rights and manage my 
 affairs;—should never be able to correct my errors or accomplish 
 my undertakings. Pei'suaded of this, I began, many years ago, to 
 preserve my papers; and, in 1826, to print them, regularly classed, 
 lettered and numbered, for after reference. What is contained with¬ 
 in this cover, is a continuation ; and should I live to have peace and 
 freedom, these documents, however worthless by themselves, and dis¬ 
 jointed as at present, may enable me to mature projects of mightiest 
 moment to humanity. 
 
 Even at present my records are Consolatory. They are the clue 
 to reflection on past life; and this reflection gives assurance that the 
 chain of causes and effects proceeds from Almighty power :—gives as¬ 
 surance that there is a Providence—a Disposer of Events—a Superi¬ 
 or Intelligence, whose ways are not as our ways;—who can guide us 
 through darkness into light, and over rugged paths to tranquility. 
 
 It is nearly twenty-nine years since I engaged in the service of 
 laborers. For this, I was maltreated at home : for this, I went to Eng^ 
 land and was persecuted there: this kindled my zeal in Canada; and 
 for this, I was banished: in the gloomiest stage of existence, this was' 
 ever in view; and this made years of imprisonment pass swiftly away : 
 this has deprived me of all property, separated me from children, 
 and left me alone in the world, but, m^ records give assurance, that 
 every misfortune has been only a step towards good; and, that up to 
 the present moment, all is for the best. I believe, indeed, that no 
 other train of events could have prepared me to assert, with growing 
 confidence, what no other man has thought of or dared to do, that, 
 “without altering a single statute, changing a single institution, or in¬ 
 terfering with property, the whole system of the Poor laws and rates 
 may be dispensed with in twenty years, while the National debt may 
 be paid off, within fifty years, from sales of colonial lands.” 
 
 ROBT. GOURLAY. 
 
 2, Bridge Street, Leith, Nov. 26, 1829. 
 
 
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