experience, the fullest confidence in the loyalty and sense of duty of
the Canadian people, he expected that a proper and permanent provision
would be made to supply the deficiency, so that the civil government of
the province might be sustained with honor and advantage to his
subjects. He had made a tour of the province, but could not take upon
himself to point out with confidence those measures of improvement
which would prove of the most advantage to the country. He concurred,
however, in all that had been said on the subject by the late Duke of
Richmond, and the Duke's recommendations were worthy of consideration
by the parliament. A permanent revenue law or a revenue law not liable
to be suddenly changed, would benefit trade. Agriculture should be
encouraged. The militia laws should be renewed. The waste lands should
be settled. A tide of immigration had set in, which promised to
continue. Many of the new comers were poor, and some had been
grievously afflicted with sickness. Not a few had abundant means. The
settlement of these immigrants should not have been impeded by the want
of legislative aid. There were great advantages to be derived from a
new population. Lower Canada, he was aware, had a population
sufficiently numerous to settle the waste lands. There were,
undoubtedly, prejudices against the introduction of strangers to be
overcome, and there were also prejudices in the minds of strangers,
affecting their settlement in Lower Canada, fertile as it was, offering
as it undeniably did, so many facilities for manufacturing operations,
and presenting, as was apparent, so wide a field for internal trade.
Inducements should be held out to new comers, with the view of making
them spread more widely. Parochial churches should be erected. Roads
affording access to distant woodlands should be laid out. For himself,
he would assure the Assembly that he had no object in view but the good
of the country. The Assembly liked the frankness of the
Governor-in-Chief. They had no idea, however, of permanently
appropriating, in the then uncertain state of trade, an amount for the
civil list, exceeding half the usual amount of the whole revenue. They
would vote annually, in accordance with their promise to Sir John
Sherbrooke, all the necessary expenses of the government if His
Excellency pleased, and no more. With regard to permanent taxes they
believed such a mode of taxation to be impracticable. They would,
however, investi