Governor General without the
concurrence of the Legislative Council; that the House in pointing out
the existence of gross abuses, had performed the first and most
essential of its duties; that in framing and exhibiting the heads of
impeachment referred to in the address to His Excellency, the House had
exercised a salutary power, vested in it by the constitution; and that
His Excellency, the Governor-in-Chief, had violated the constitutional
rights and privileges of the House, by his answer to the address. But
afterwards, to show that a feeling of respect was yet felt for His
Excellency, greater than any of his predecessors had ever experienced,
the House resolved, notwithstanding the wicked and perverse advice
which he had received, that His Majesty's faithful Commons of Canada
had not, in any respect, altered the opinion they had ever entertained
of the wisdom of His Excellency's administration, and they were
determined to adopt the measures deemed necessary for the support of
the government and the defence of the province.

The Governor-in-Chief was, however, not by any means pleased with the
pertinacity of the Assembly. There were evidently men in the House, who
would neither be forced nor persuaded out of certain measures. He
hardly knew how to act in the emergency, and with his usual caution he
did nothing. The Chief Justice Sewell went to England for the purpose
of repelling the accusations against him, and as he was only the
instrument of, not under any circumstance the author of a wrong,
English public opinion, of course, went strongly with him. The
Executive Councillors, the merchants, and the other principal
inhabitants of Quebec presented addresses to His Honor, intimating the
high opinion in which he was held, and alluding to his conspicuous
ability, comprehensive knowledge, patient candour, liberal respect for
the opinion of others, and his equality and gentleness of temper,
pointedly and flatteringly. Mr. Chief Justice Monk was similarly
treated by the influential inhabitants. The Assembly continued,
notwithstanding the war exigencies of the times, in their factiousness,
as their persistence in some measures was considered. They again passed
a bill appointing a provincial agent to Great Britain, who was to
reside in London, after the manner of an ambassador. Mr. Bedard, the
Judge of Three Rivers, who had figured somewhat conspicuously in Sir
James Craig's time, was named as the agent in the bill. It was