doubt that, on returning to your respective homes, you will
zealously diffuse among all ranks of people those principles of justice,
patriotism, and loyalty which have distinguished your public labours
during this session, and that you will use your best exertions to find
out and bring to justice those evil-disposed persons who, by
inflammatory discourses, or the spreading of seditious writings,
endeavour to deceive the unwary and disturb the peace and good order of
society; and that you will avail yourselves of every opportunity to
convince your fellow-subjects that the blessings they enjoy under a
truly free and happy Constitution can be preserved only by a due
obedience to the laws, all breaches of which are the more inexcusable as
the Constitution itself has provided for the safe and easy repeal or
modification of such as may not answer the good intentions of the
Legislature."

The interval between the close of the second and the opening of the
third session of the Legislature, from the 31st of May, 1794, to 5th of
January, 1795, quiet and contentment prevailed in the province; and the
short speech of Lord Dorchester (for his speeches were always short and
to the point) at the opening of this third Session was chiefly one of
congratulation, commendation and suggestion. Among other things he
said:

"Gentlemen, I shall order to be laid before you a statement of the
provincial revenues of the Crown for the last year, together with such
part of the expenditure as may enable you to estimate the ways and means
for the most necessary supplies, in bringing forward which you will keep
in view the advantages of providing for the public exigencies by a
prudent restraint on luxuries, and by regulations which may, at the same
time, encourage and extend commerce.

"Gentlemen, the judges and law officers of the Crown have been directed
to draw up and report their opinion on the subject of your address to me
on the 28th of May last" (this related to the establishment of forms of
proceeding in the courts of justice, and a table of fees to which the
different civil officers, advocates, notaries, and land surveyors should
be entitled in their respective offices); "and I have much satisfaction
in perceiving this early disposition on your part to prevent and guard
against abuses which might impede the course of justice, or give rise to
customs that would establish oppressive demands, and gradually efface
from our minds a due sense o