ation. The Legislative Council
rejected the supply bill as soon as it appeared in their chamber, and
implored His Majesty to consider the state of the province, out of
tenderness to his loyal subjects in Lower Canada, and to grant a remedy
for the withholding of the supplies. But there was a subject of
somewhat greater importance brought to the attention of the parliament
in a message to Congress by the President of the United States. The
American government claimed the right of freely navigating the St.
Lawrence from their territories, in the west, to the sea. It certainly
was a pity that the right was not conceded. The whole province of
Canada would have gained by the increase of shipping to its waters. The
Council were, however, much alarmed and addressed the Governor,
deprecating such a concession, as contrary to the law of nations, in
similar cases; dangerously calculated to affect the dependence of the
colony, on the parent state; as having a tendency to systematize
smuggling and as pernicious to British interests, in a variety of ways.
They had further learned that Barnharts' Island, in the St. Lawrence,
situated above Cornwall, in the Upper Province, was to be conceded to
the Americans. They were apprehensive that the navigation of the St.
Lawrence, between Upper and Lower Canada, was to be impeded or placed
at the mercy of the States, and they suggested a reciprocal right of
navigation, during peace, of the several channels of the St. Lawrence,
south of the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, although they had
prayed the king not to grant the reciprocal right of navigation in the
St. Lawrence, north of that latitude, in time of peace. The Assembly
paid no attention to the matter.

The Lower House, however, was beginning to be, on the whole, somewhat
factiously disposed. For the most part, the positions assumed by the
Commons of Canada, were correct positions, but they were not incapable
of doing mischievously silly things. Indeed, while jealous to an
extreme, of power in others, they claimed extraordinary powers, rights,
and privileges for themselves. They would not have their proceedings
commented upon either by the Governor, the Legislative Council, or the
press. The slightest attempt to curb them was a breach of privilege, a
simple remonstrance was something malicious, false, or libellous. They
were occasionally pettish. A war losses Act had been passed in Upper
Canada. The brunt of the war of 1812, had fa