o addressed His Excellency,
requesting him to lay before them copies of all official despatches
transmitted to him by the secretary of state for the colonies, since he
assumed the administration of the government, relating to the subject of
the casual and territorial revenues. The reply of His Excellency to the
request for more detailed accounts was a courteous one; but while he
consented to furnish the accounts requested in detail, it was with the
understanding that his compliance was not to be considered as a
precedent. He declined, however, to give the names of the parties who
had their timber seized or forfeited, or the names of the petitioners
for Crown land. He also refused to furnish the accounts of the
receiver-general and commissioner of Crown lands, on the ground that
they were accounts exclusively between these officers and the Crown.

With regard to the request for his correspondence with the colonial
secretary, Sir Archibald Campbell in another message gave a tart
refusal, stating that such a request was subversive of the principles
and spirit of the British constitution, and that he would ill deserve
the confidence put in him by His Majesty were he to hesitate in meeting
so dangerous an encroachment, not only on the independence of the
executive, but the prerogatives of the British Crown, with a most
decided and unqualified refusal. This military officer considered
himself a proper exponent of the principles and spirit of the British
constitution. He failed to understand that the British constitution
rests upon the support of the people, while his system of government was
intended to ignore the people altogether.

{QUARREL WITH THE GOVERNOR}

A few days after the receipt of this message, a resolution was passed
by the House of Assembly declaring that the language used by the
lieutenant-governor, in his reply to the address of the House, was at
variance with all parliamentary precedent and usage, and such as was not
called for by the address. Some of the governor's friends attempted to
weaken the force of this resolution by an amendment of a milder nature,
but their amendment was defeated, and the resolution carried by a vote
of fifteen to eight. Another address on the subject of the casual and
territorial revenues and civil list was prepared and passed by the
assembly for the purpose of being forwarded to His Majesty. It recited
the proceedings, in regard to the matter, which had taken place already,
an