was called, only extended eastward to the St. John's river on the north
of the St. Lawrence, the territory beyond being annexed to the
jurisdiction of Newfoundland, while on the south the islands of Cape
Breton and St. John (Prince Edward's island) belonged to Nova Scotia.
No settlement was made as to the country west of the Appalachian range,
which was claimed by the old colonies, nor as to the vast tract between
Lake Nipissing and the Mississippi, the boundary of the Spanish land.
The government of Canada was in the hands of a military governor-general
and a council. In 1764 the English-speaking and protestant population
was a mere handful; in 1774 it numbered about 360, while the French
Roman catholics were at the least 80,000. In accordance with the treaty
of Paris the catholics had full liberty of worship. English was,
however, the only official language, and all offices were held by men of
British nationality. The administration of the law was confused, and,
though the king's proclamation held out a prospect that an assembly
might be called, it required oaths and declarations which would have
shut Roman catholics out from it. The French disliked the English law
with reference to land, and as far as possible evaded it. Constant
difficulties arose, and, in 1766, Charles Yorke, then attorney-general,
advised that English should cease to be the only official language, and
that French law should be recognised in cases which concerned land. On
the other hand the British minority, largely consisting of immigrants
from New England, pressed for an assembly, which would have strengthened
and perpetuated their supremacy over their French neighbours.

The discontent in the American colonies made the ministers specially
anxious to conciliate the French Canadians, and with the advice of Sir
Guy Carleton, the governor, they brought in a bill for the government of
the province. The Quebec act of 1774 included in Canada the territory
previously annexed to Newfoundland, and extended its boundaries to the
Ohio and the Mississippi. It confirmed freedom of worship to the Roman
catholics and secured to their priests, with the exception of the
religious orders, their former tithes and dues, so far as concerned
their own people only, for protestants were exempted from such payments.
Civil cases were to be decided according to the French law, criminal
cases according to the English law, by juries. It was declared
inexpedient to call an ass