. He would pay,
moreover, L1,000 a year, in the event of his restoration to office,
with a provision, by the legislature, suited to its responsibility. Now
it does seem that if Mr. Caldwell was prepared to pay so many thousands
a year, on certain conditions, there was no necessity for his default.
The House would have nothing whatever to do with Mr. Caldwell. He was
not their officer, and he was a defaulter. The imperial government were
bound to make good the Receiver General's defalcation, and they would
address His Majesty on the subject. They did so. It was alleged that
Mr. Caldwell was an officer of the imperial government, over whom the
provincial government had no control, and that he had lost to the
province L96,117 13s. and one farthing, which it was right that the
government of England should make good to the government of Canada. The
Assembly proceeded to another matter. On the motion of Mr. Bourdages a
committee was appointed to consider the propriety of erecting an
equestrian statue "_in memoriam illustrissimi viri D. Georgii
Prevost, Baroneti, Hujusce Provinciae, Gubernatoris, Atque Copiarum
Ducis Canadarum Servatoris_." The statue was never erected, the
excuse being simply "no funds." The subject of tea smuggling was
brought before the House. The revenue had been seriously affected by
the illicit importation of Bohay, Souchong, and Oolong, from the United
States. Canada was desirous of obtaining "Gunpowder" from other and
more profitable sources, and addressed the king to know if tea could
not be obtained direct, either by some arrangement with the East India
Company, for an annual supply, or by granting to His Majesty's subjects
the benefit of direct importation. The king's ministers advised the
East India Company to have no more colonial tea difficulties, and tea
sufficient for the consumption of the province of Canada was annually
sent to Quebec, in the company's ships, until the company ceased to be
concerned in the tea trade. Messrs. Neilson and Papineau had returned
to Quebec from London, and had reported that the consideration of the
union of the provinces would not be resumed without previous notice
being given to the inhabitants of the province. The Canada Trade Act
was discussed and defended by Mr. Papineau on the plea of necessity.
The supplies were then considered, voted as before, _item_ by
_item_, and twenty-five per cent discounted on every salary, to
make up for the Receiver General's defalc