f Canada, Chap. lxviii., p. 330.)]

[Footnote 158: The French-speaking members nominated Mr. J.A. Parret
(Panet), a leading advocate of Quebec; and the English party nominated
successively Mr. James McGill, one of the most prominent merchants of
Montreal, and William Grant, of Quebec. The feeling was strong on each
side to have in the Speaker a gentleman of their own language; but Mr.
Parret (Panet) was ultimately chosen by a large majority, to some extent
because _he understood and spoke both languages fluently_. This
gentleman occupied the position of Speaker for upwards of twenty years,
and fully justified the wisdom of the first Assembly in electing
him.--_Ib._, p. 330.

It is singular that in some histories of Canada it should have been
stated that the Speaker elected by the first House of Assembly could
speak no other tongue than the French language. Mr. Archer, in his
History of Canada for the Use of Schools, says: "By a vote of twenty
eight to eighteen, M. Panet, _who could speak no language but his native
French_, was chosen" (p. 269). Mr. Withrow, in his excellent History of
Canada, says: "Mr. Panet, a distinguished advocate, _who spoke no
language but his native French_, was elected Speaker of the Assembly"
(p. 291). The very discussion which took place on the election of
Speaker turned chiefly on the point whether a Speaker should be elected
who could speak one or both languages. Mr. P.L. Panet, brother to Mr.
J.A. Panet, who was elected Speaker, in reply to some of his own
countrymen who advocated the exclusive use of the French language, while
he advocated the ultimate use of the English language alone in the
Legislature and in the courts of law, commenced and concluded his speech
in the following words: "I will explain my mind on the necessity that
the Speaker we are about to choose _should possess and speak equally
well the two languages_."--"I think it is but decent that the Speaker on
whom we may fix our choice be one who can express himself in English
when he addresses himself to the representative of our Sovereign."
(Christie's History of Canada, Vol. I., Chap. iv., pp. 127, 128, in a
note.) Mr. Christie, after stating in the text about "J.A. Panet, Esq.,
an old and eminent advocate of the Quebec bar, returned a member for the
Upper Town of Quebec, was chosen by the Assembly for its Speaker,"
remarks, in a note, before giving the speech of Mr. P.L. Panet quoted
above, that "this excellent man and go