ented at Quebec to Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor in Chief, a
petition from John Black showing that the petitioner hath served as a
seaman in His Majesty's service on board the sloop, _Happy Couple_ of
New York for which he had a certificate to shew, and was then living
servant to Mrs. Martin, the wife of Captain Martin of this place, who
wanted to deprive him of his liberty and humbly begged His Excellency
to grant him a passport.[13]

The immigration into Canada of those who had been British subjects was
ardently desired by the home authorities. To encourage this
immigration, the Imperial Parliament in 1790 passed an Act[14] which
had some effect in increasing the slave population. Intended to
encourage "new settlers in His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in
America," it applied to all "subjects of the United States." It
allowed an importation into any of the Bahama, Bermuda or Somers
Islands, the province of Quebec (then including all Canada), Nova
Scotia and every other British territory in North America. It allowed
the importation by such American subjects of "Negroes, household
furniture, utensils of husbandry or cloathing free of duty," the
"household furniture, utensils of husbandry and cloathing" not to
exceed in value L50 for every white person in the family and L2 for
each Negro, any sale of Negro or goods within a year of the
importation to be void. After the division of the Old Province of
Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791 the course of slavery was
different.[15]

It seems appropriate to close this chapter by adding a number of
available advertisements including some of runaway apprentices.[16]

Il s'est enfui de chez les Soussignes, la nuit du 12 du courant,
Un Negre Esclave nomme POMPE d'environ cinq pieds cinq pouces
d'hauteur, robuste, il a ete achete dernierement de M. Perras,
negociant de cette ville; il avoit sur lui quand il a decampe un
gilet et des culottes brunes: Celui qui le ramenera aura HUIT
PIASTRES de Recompense, et les frais raisonnables qu'il aura
faits. Quiconque le retirera chez lui sera poursuivi suivant la
derniere rigueur de la Loi, par

JOHNSTON & PURSS.

RUN-AWAY from the subscribers, in the Night of the 12th inst. a
Sailor Negro Slave named POMPEY, about 5 Feet, 5 Inches high,
and is Robust; he was lately bought of Mr. Perras, Merchant in
this Town; had on when he went away