ar salary to the Speaker of the Upper House. Of these bills all
were finally adopted or sanctioned with the exception of those granting
salaries to the two Speakers. That conferring a salary upon the Speaker
of the Legislative Assembly, was reserved for the royal sanction, but
was afterwards confirmed, while that conferring a salary upon the
Speaker of the Upper House, was lost in the Legislative Council,
because the members of that body considered it _infra dignitate_, to
receive any direct remuneration for their legislative services, the
more especially as, with few exceptions, the Speaker and members were
already salaried, either as Judges, Bishops, or Clerks of the Executive
Council. In the course of the session the expediency of sending to
London a kind of agent or ambassador for the country, was again
discussed, and its expediency determined upon by the Assembly, but the
Legislative Council impressed with the idea that the Governor General
should be the only channel of communication with the imperial
authorities, refused to concur in any bill framed with the view of
securing the services of any such agent, who could not be more than a
delegate from the Assembly, and whose acts could not be considered
binding on the government of the province. The matter was then referred
to a select committee of the Assembly, who reported that the necessity
for an agent appeared evident, each branch of the legislature having a
right to petition the King, the Lords, and the Commons of England; that
although the Governor could transmit such petitions to the foot of the
throne, he could neither transmit nor support such petitions when
transmitted before the House of Lords or before the House of Commons,
solicit the passing of laws, nor conduct many affairs which might be
conducted by a person resident in Great Britain. Without an agent the
Assembly would be deprived of the right of petition. An agent was
especially necessary to the people of the province, because endeavours
were even then being made to prejudice the imperial government, and the
British nation against Canada, and endeavours were being made to effect
a change in the free constitution which had been conferred upon Lower
Canada, by means of a union of the two Canadas, the language, laws, and
usages of the two provinces being entirely distinct. It was further
urged that uneasiness would cease whenever a resident agent was
appointed, and as an additional reason for the appoi