dition of being transported,
or of voluntary banishment, either for life or for a shorter time,
and should afterwards return without lawful excuse, contrary to the
condition of his pardon, he should be deemed guilty of felony, and
forfeit his life. By a third ordinance it was enacted that if a person
against whom an indictment for treason was found by a grand-jury in
the province would not appear, he might be summoned by proclamation to
surrender himself by a given day, such day not to be less than three
months from the date of the proclamation; and in the event of his
failing to do so, should stand and be adjudged attainted of the crime
expressed in the indictment, and suffer and forfeit accordingly, and
judgment be recorded to that effect. After issuing these ordinances,
with others of minor importance, and after repealing martial-law in the
district of Montreal, on the 5th of May the council was prorogued.
On the 29th of the same month Lord Durham arrived at Quebec, and
immediately proceeded to the council-chamber at the castle, and took
possession of the government with the accustomed formalities. His first
act was to issue a proclamation, assuring the people that he appeared
among them as a friend and arbitrator, ready at all times to listen to
them without respect to party, race, or politics. On the 31st of May he
addressed a circular to the respective members of the executive council,
dispensing with their services, having previously formed another,
composed of the secretaries to the general government; namely, C.
Buller, Esq., M.P., chief secretary; T. E. M. Turton, Esq., secretary;
Colonel G. Couper, military secretary; the provincial secretary; and the
commissary-general. Among the earliest measures of Lord Durham was the
mission of Colonel Grey to Washington, with instructions to expostulate
with the American government on the state of things existing on its own
borders. Colonel Grey obtained the fullest assurances of the president
that the American government desired to preserve the good understanding
existing with England, and ample promises of co-operation in any
measures which Lord Durham might think necessary to adopt for restoring
the peace of the frontier. A more difficult affair for Lord Durham to
settle was the disposal of the state prisoners. His lordship himself
remarked that it was "by far the most delicate and dangerous" of all the
matters requiring settlement. The manner in which his lordship sett