e of Charles the
First. A committee of five members was appointed to obtain further
information. The committee ascertained that everything reported by Mr.
Quirouet was true. A spirited debate ensued. The conduct of Mr.
Richardson was looked upon as atrocious. Mr. Richardson too was the
senior member of the Executive Council, and on him the government of
the province might devolve. He was entirely unworthy of confidence. He
was the enemy of his country. It was resolved that his language was
false, scandalous, and malicious; that he had been guilty of a high
contempt of the Assembly; that he had made an odious attempt to destroy
His Majesty's confidence in the fidelity and loyalty of the Assembly,
and of the people of the province, and that he had been guilty of a
breach of the rights and privileges of one branch of the legislature.
It was further resolved to inform the Legislative Council of the
Assembly's opinion of the discourse of the Honorable John Richardson,
with the request that the Council would inquire into the charge which
they preferred against him and were prepared to substantiate, so that
the Honorable John Richardson might be adequately punished. And it was
still further resolved that the Governor General should be informed of
the libelous language of the Honorable John Richardson, and of the
desire of the Assembly that he should be removed and dismissed from
every place of honor, trust, or profit, which he might hold under the
Crown. These resolutions of the Assembly, respecting the conduct of the
Honorable John Richardson were taken by special messengers to the
Governor and to the Legislative Council. The Governor considered the
resolutions undignified. They were as much a breach of the privileges
of the Council as the remarks of Mr. Richardson would have been a
breach of the privileges of the Assembly if uttered anywhere else than
in the Council. Mr. Richardson had a perfect right to express himself
freely in parliament. Freedom of debate was as necessary to the Upper
as it was to the Lower House. He distinctly refused to dismiss Mr.
Richardson from any office of honor, trust, or profit, which he might
hold. The Council, so far from proceeding to punish Mr. Richardson for
his outspokenness, looked upon the resolutions of the Assembly as a
flagrant breach of its privileges, and would take no measures with
regard to the language made use of towards the Assembly, by Mr.
Richardson, until the Assembly apologi