new Legislature was not to be later than
the 31st December, 1792.

Thus in fulfilment of a promise made in a Royal Proclamation in 1763,
Canada obtained a _representative_ form of government in 1791.

It has been seen that _the representative_ form of government was
obtained both for _Nova Scotia_ and _New Brunswick_ by the
representation and influence of the _United Empire Loyalists_; it was so
in Canada. Thus are we indebted to the _United Empire Loyalists_ not
only for our unity with the British empire, but for the original
constitution of representative government which, with enlarged
application, is the basis of that free government which now prevails
throughout all the provinces of the Dominion of Canada.

GOVERNMENT OF LOWER CANADA.

In 1786, Lord Dorchester had been appointed Governor of Canada and
Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in North America.[156] But he
left for England in August, 1791, on a year's leave, and in his absence
the administration of the Government was entrusted to the
Lieutenant-Governor, General Alured Clarke, a retired British officer.
The elections took place in June, 1792, and were in some instances
warmly contested. Lower Canada had been divided into twenty-one
counties, eighteen of which elected two members each, and three--the
counties of Gaspe, Bedford, and Orleans--returned one member each; the
cities of Quebec and Montreal were each represented by four members, and
Three Rivers by two. Of the fifty members elected to the first House of
Assembly, fifteen were of British origin, and thirty-five were of French
origin.[157]

The Legislative Council consisted of fifteen members.

On the 30th of October, the Provincial Parliament was commanded to meet
at Quebec the 17th of December, 1792, for the actual despatch of
business. On the meeting of the Legislative Council that day, the Hon.
Chief Justice William Smith was appointed Speaker. The House of Assembly
did not agree upon the election of Speaker on the first day--the French
and English-speaking members advocating respectively the election of a
Speaker of their own language; but at length Mr. J.A. Panet was elected
by a large majority--he speaking both languages with equal
fluency.[158]

The Lieutenant-Governor made a speech expressing the solicitude and
consideration of the King for his Canadian subjects, in recommending to
his Parliament such a change in their colonial government as
circumstances might require and a