Chapter III: The Definitive Treaty of Paris

1763

THE NEW CIVIL GOVERNMENT

THE DEFINITIVE TREATY OF PEACE--SECTION RELATING TO
CANADA--CATHOLIC DISABILITIES AND THE PHRASE “AS FAR AS THE
LAWS OF GREAT BRITAIN PERMIT”--THE TREATY RECEIVED WITH DELIGHT
BY THE “OLD” SUBJECTS BUT WITH DISAPPOINTMENT BY THE “NEW”--THE
INEVITABLE STRUGGLES BEGIN, TO CULMINATE IN THE QUEBEC ACT
OF 1774--OPPOSITION AT MONTREAL, THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE
SEIGNEURS--THE NEW CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN ACTION--CIVIL COURTS AND
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ESTABLISHED--MURRAY’S ACTION IN ALLOWING
“ALL SUBJECTS OF THE COLONY” TO BE CALLED UPON TO ACT AS JURORS
VIOLENTLY OPPOSED BY THE BRITISH PARTY AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL--THE
PROTEST OF THE QUEBEC GRAND JURY--SUBSEQUENT MODIFICATIONS
IN 1766 TO SUIT ALL PARTIES--GOVERNOR MURRAY’S COMMENT
ON MONTREAL, “EVERY INTRIGUE TO OUR DISADVANTAGE WILL BE
HATCHED THERE”--MURRAY AND THE MONTREAL MERCHANTS--A TIME OF
MISUNDERSTANDING. NOTE: LIST OF SUBSEQUENT GOVERNORS 25

CHAPTER IV

CIVIC GOVERNMENT UNDER JUSTICES OF THE PEACE

1764

RALPH BURTON, GOVERNOR OF MONTREAL, BECOMES MILITARY
COMMANDANT--FRICTION AMONG MILITARY COMMANDERS--JUSTICES
OF PEACE CREATED--FIRST QUARTER SESSIONS--MILITARY
VERSUS CITIZENS--THE WALKER OUTRAGE--THE TRIAL--WALKER
BOASTS OF SECURING MURRAY’S RECALL--MURRAY’S DEFENSE
AFTER HIS RECALL--THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ABUSE THEIR
POWER--CENSURED BY THE COUNCIL AT QUEBEC--COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
ESTABLISHED--PIERRE DU CALVET--CARLETON’S DESCRIPTION OF THE
“DISTRESSES OF THE CANADIANS” 35

CHAPTER V

THE PRELIMINARY STRUGGLE FOR AN ASSEMBLY

THE BRITISH MERCHANTS OF MONTREAL

“VERY RESPECTABLE MERCHANTS”--A LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ON
BRITISH LINES PROMOTED BY THEM--INOPPORTUNE--VARIOUS
MEMORIALS TO GOVERNMENT--THE MEETINGS AT MILES PRENTIES’
HOUSE--CRAMAHE--MASERES--COUNTER PETITIONS 45

CHAPTER VI

THE QUEBEC ACT OF 1774

THE NOBLESSE OF THE DISTRICT OF MONTREAL

THE GRIEVANCES OF THE SEIGNEURS--MONTREAL THE
HEADQUARTERS--“EVERY INTRIGUE TO OUR DISADVANTAGE WILL BE
HATCHED THERE”--PETITIONS--CARLETON’S FEAR OF A FRENCH
INVASION--A SECRET MEETING--PROTESTS OF MAGISTRATES TODD AND
BRASHAY--PROTESTS OF CITIZENS--CARLETON’S CORRESPONDENCE FOR
AN AMENDED CONSTITUTION IN FAVOUR OF THE NOBLESSE--THE QUEBEC
ACT--ANGLICIZATION ABANDONED 51

CHAPTER VII

THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR OF 1775

MONTREAL THE SEAT OF DISCONTENT

THE QUEBEC ACT, A PRIMARY OCCASION OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION--MONTREAL BRITISH DISLOYAL--THE COFFEE HOUSE
MEETING--WALKER AGAIN--MONTREAL DISAFFECTS QUEBEC--LOYALTY
OF HABITANTS AND SAVAGES UNDERMINED--NOBLESSE, GENTRY AND
CLERGY LOYAL--KING GEORGE’S BUST DESECRATED--“DELENDA EST
CANADA”--“THE FOURTEENTH COLONY”--BENEDICT ARNOLD AND ETHAN
ALLEN--BINDON’S TREACHERY--CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FEEBLY
ANSWERED--MILITIA CALLED OUT--LANDING OF THE REBELS--ENGLISH
OFFICIAL APATHY--MONTREAL’S PART IN THE DEFENCE OF CANADA--THE
FIRST SOLELY FRENCH-CANADIAN COMPANY OF MILITIA--NOTE: THE
MILITIA 63

CHAPTER VIII

MONTREAL BESIEGED

1775

THE SECOND CAPITULATION

ETHAN ALLEN--HABITANTS’ AND CAUGHNAWAGANS’ LOYALTY TAMPERED
WITH--PLAN TO OVERCOME MONTREAL--THE ATTACK--ALLEN
CAPTURED--WALKER’S FARM HOUSE AT L’ASSOMPTION BURNED--WALKER
TAKEN PRISONER TO MONTREAL--CARLETON’S FORCE FROM MONTREAL
FAILS AT ST. JOHN’S--CARLETON LEAVES MONTREAL--MONTREAL
BESIEGED--MONTGOMERY RECEIVES A DEPUTATION OF CITIZENS--THE
ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION--MONTGOMERY ENTERS BY THE RECOLLECT
GATE--WASHINGTON’S PROCLAMATION 71

CHAPTER IX

MONTREAL, AN AMERICAN CITY SEVEN MONTHS UNDER CONGRESS

1776

THE CONGRESS ARMY EVACUATES MONTREAL

MONTREAL UNDER CONGRESS--GENERAL WOOSTER’S TROUBLES--MONEY AND
PROVISIONS SCARCE--MILITARY RULE--GENERAL CONFUSION--THE
CHATEAU DE RAMEZAY, AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS--THE COMMISSIONERS:
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, SAMUEL CHASE AND CHARLES CARROL--FLEURY
MESPLET, THE PRINTER--THE FAILURE OF THE COMMISSIONERS--NEWS
OF THE FLIGHT FROM QUEBEC--MONTREAL A STORMY SEA--THE
COMMISSIONERS FLY--THE WALKERS ALSO--THE EVACUATION BY THE
CONGRESS TROOPS--NOTES: I. PRINCIPAL REBELS WHO FLED; II.
DESCRIPTION OF DRESS OF AMERICAN RIFLES 79

CHAPTER X

THE ASSEMBLY AT LAST

1776-1791

THE CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF 1791

REOCCUPATION BY BRITISH--COURTS REESTABLISHED--CONGRESS’ SPECIAL
OFFER TO CANADA--LAFAYETTE’S PROJECTED RAID--UNREST AGAIN--THE
LOYALTY OF FRENCH CANADIANS AGAIN BEING TEMPTED--QUEBEC
ACT PUT INTO FORCE--THE MERCHANTS BEGIN MEMORIALIZING FOR
A REPEAL AND AN ASSEMBLY--HALDIMAND AND HUGH FINLAY OPPOSE
ASSEMBLY--MEETINGS AND COUNTER MEETINGS--CIVIC AFFAIRS--THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROJECTED “CHAMBER OF COMMERCE”--THE FIRST
NOTIONS OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS--THE MONTREAL CITIZENS’
COMMITTEE REPORT--THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS--THE DIVISION OF
THE PROVINCE PROJECTED--THE CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF 1791. NOTE:
MONTREAL NAMES OF PETITIONERS IN 1784 87

CHAPTER XI

THE FUR TRADERS OF MONTREAL

THE GREAT NORTH WEST COMPANY

MERCHANTS--NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS ORIGINS--UP COUNTRY
TRADE--EARLY COMPANIES--NORTH WEST COMPANY--CHARLES GRANT’S
REPORT--PASSES--MEMORIALS--GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES--RIVAL
COMPANIES--THE X.Y. COMPANY--JOHN JACOB ASTOR’S COMPANIES---
ASTORIA TO BE FOUNDED--THE JOURNEY OF THE MONTREAL
CONTINGENT--ASTORIA A FAILURE--THE GREAT RIVAL--THE HUDSON’S
BAY COMPANY--SIR ALEXANDER SELKIRK--THE AMALGAMATION OF THE
NORTH WEST AND HUDSON’S BAY COMPANIES IN 1821--THE BEAVER CLUB 97

CHAPTER XII

FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY DESIGNS

MONTREAL THE SEAT OF JACOBINISM

THE ASSEMBLY AT LAST--MONTREAL REPRESENTATIVES--FRENCH AND
ENGLISH USED--THE FRENCH REVOLUTION--MUTINY AT QUEBEC--THE
DUKE OF KENT--INVASION FEARED FROM FRANCE--MONTREAL
DISAFFECTED--ATTORNEY GENERAL MONK’S REPORT--THE FRENCH
SEDITIONARY PAMPHLETS--PANEGYRIC ON BISHOP BRIAND--MONTREAL
ARRESTS--ATTORNEY GENERAL SEWELL’S REPORT--M’LEAN--ROGER’S
SOCIETY--JEROME BONAPARTE EXPECTED 105

CHAPTER XIII

THE AMERICAN INVASION OF 1812

MONTREAL AND CHATEAUGUAY

FRENCH CANADIAN LOYALTY

THE CAUSES OF THE WAR OF 1812--THE CHESAPEAKE--JOHN HENRY--HOW
THE NEWS OF INVASION WAS RECEIVED IN MONTREAL--THE
MOBILIZATION--GENERAL HULL--THE MONTREAL MILITIA--FRENCH AND
ENGLISH ENLIST--MONTREAL THE OBJECTIVE--OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF
THE BATTLE OF CHATEAUGUAY--COLONEL DE SALABERRY--RETURN OF
WOUNDED--THE EXPLANATION OF THE FEW BRITISH KILLED 115

CHAPTER XIV

SIDE LIGHTS OF SOCIAL PROGRESS

1776-1825

THE “GAZETTE DU COMMERCE ET LITTERAIRE”--A RUNAWAY SLAVE--GUY
CARLETON’S DEPARTURE--GENERAL HALDIMAND IN MONTREAL--MESPLET’S
PAPER SUSPENDED--POET’S CORNER--THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
DISCUSSED--FIRST THEATRICAL COMPANY: THE “BUSY BODY”--LORD
NELSON’S MONUMENT--A RUNAWAY RED CURLY HAIRED AND BANDY
LEGGED APPRENTICE--LAMBERT’S PICTURE OF THE PERIOD--MINE HOST
OF THE “MONTREAL HOTEL”--THE “CANADIAN COURANT”--AMERICAN
INFLUENCE--THE “HERALD”--WILLIAM GRAY AND ALEXANDER
SKAKEL--BEGINNINGS OF COMMERCIAL LIFE--DOIGE’S DIRECTORY--MUNGO
KAY--LITERARY CELEBRITIES--HERALD “EXTRAS”--WATERLOO--POLITICAL
PSEUDONYMS--NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION--THE ABORTIVE “SUN”--A
PICTURE OF THE CITY IN 1818--THE BLACK RAIN OF 1819--OFFICIAL,
MILITARY AND ECCLESIASTICAL LIFE--ORIGIN OF ART, MUSIC, ETC. 123

CHAPTER XV

BUREAURACY vs. DEMOCRACY

THE PROPOSED UNION OF THE CANADAS

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT--MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS--FRENCH-CANADIANS
AIM TO STRENGTHEN THEIR POLITICAL POWER--THE “COLONIAL” OFFICE
AND THE BUREAUCRATIC CLASS VERSUS THE DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE
ASSEMBLY--L. J. PAPINEAU AND JOHN RICHARDSON--PETITIONS FOR
AND AGAINST UNION--THE MONTREAL BRITISH PETITION OF 1822--THE
ANSWER OF L.J. PAPINEAU--THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL--THE BILL FOR
UNION WITHDRAWN. NOTES: NAMES OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE FROM
1796 TO 1833--MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR MONTREAL
DISTRICT, 1791-1829--PETITION OF MONTREAL BRITISH--1822 133