consequences. They had a duty to perform to their constituents, and
meant to perform it. The estimates of the civil list were sent down.
The House asked the Governor to lay before it his instructions. The
Governor refused. His instructions were confidential and he would not
suffer any part of them to become the subject of discussion by the
House. A motion to grant a permanent civil list was made and negatived.
There were only five ayes to thirty-one nays. The House adhered to the
opinion that the supplies ought to be voted and appropriated annually,
and not otherwise. The Governor was requested to mention the
circumstance to the King, and he promised to do so. The Assembly
proceeded to the transaction of other business. The expediency of
having an agent to represent the interests of the people, not the
Executive of Canada only, in England, was next considered. It occurred
to the House that some member of the imperial parliament might be
induced to accept the agency, and it was resolved that Joseph Marryatt,
Esquire, M.P., should be requested to act as such agent. The
resolution of the Assembly was transmitted to Mr. Marryatt, who was
also put in possession of the civil list difficulty, with instructions
relative to the course of action which it was expected he would adopt.
The Council felt annoyed. They looked upon the appointment of Mr.
Marryatt as a dangerous assumption of legislative power by the Assembly
alone. They considered it a breach of the constitution, a breach of the
king's prerogative, a breach of the privileges of the Legislative
Council, and as a something which tended to subvert the constitution of
the province. This protest had the effect desired by the Council. Mr.
Marryatt would not act. Unless the Council concurred in his appointment
he could have no weight with the government in England, nor would he be
even acknowledged. There was nothing now to be done but to starve the
government into submission. The government was not to be conquered by
assault. The Assembly determined upon cutting off the supplies
entirely. The revenue Acts were, one after the other, suffered to
expire. No appropriation was made even for the current expenses of the
year. A revenue of thirty thousand pounds a year, or more, part of
which belonged to Upper Canada, was sacrificed. The Governor might make
advances to the officers of the government, on his own responsibility,
or not, as he pleased. But the House would hold the Recei