=Source.=--Shortt and Doughty's _Documents_. (Cf. 16.)
II. ... whereas his Majesty has been pleased to signify by his
message to both Houses of Parliament, his royal intention to divide
his province of Quebec into two separate provinces, to be called
_The Province of Upper Canada_ and _The Province of Lower Canada_
... there shall be within each of the said provinces respectively a
Legislative Council and an Assembly....
III. ... it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty ... to
authorise and direct the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor ... to
summon to the said Legislative Council ... a sufficient number of
discreet and proper persons, being not fewer than seven to the
Legislative Council for the province of Upper Canada, and not fewer
than fifteen to the Legislative Council for the province of Lower
Canada....
XIV. ... for the purpose of electing the members of such Assemblies
respectively, it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty ... to
authorise the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor ... to issue a
proclamation dividing such province into districts or counties or
circles, and towns or townships, and appointing the limits thereof,
and declaring and appointing the number of representatives to be
chosen by each of such districts....
XVII. ... the whole number of members to be chosen in the province
of Upper Canada shall not be less than sixteen, ... in the province
of Lower Canada shall not be less than fifty.
XXVII. ... the said Legislative Council and Assembly, in each of
the said provinces, shall be called together once at the least in
every twelve calendar months, and ... every Assembly shall continue
for four years ... subject nevertheless to be sooner prorogued or
dissolved by the Governor....
XXX. ... whenever any bill which has been passed by the Legislative
Council and by the House of Assembly ... shall be presented, for
his Majesty's assent, to the Governor ... such Governor ...
is hereby authorised and required to declare, according to his
discretion, but subject nevertheless to the provisions contained
in this Act, and to such instructions as may from time to time be
given in that behalf by his Majesty ... that he assents to such
bill in his Majesty's name, or that he withholds his Majesty's
assent from such bill, or that he reserves such bill for the
signification of his Majesty's pleasure thereon.
XXXI. ... whenever any bill ... shall by such Governor ... have
been assented to in his Majesty's name, such Governor ... is hereby
required, by the first convenient opportunity, to transmit to one
of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State an authentic copy
of such bill so assented to; ... it shall and may be lawful, at any
time within two years after such bill shall have been so received
... for his Majesty ... to declare his ... disallowance of such
bill....
XXXVI. ... it shall and may be lawful for his Majesty ... to
authorise the Governor ... to make, from and out of the lands of
the Crown within such provinces, such allotment and appropriation
of lands, for the support and maintenance of a Protestant clergy
within the same, as may bear a due proportion to the amount of
such lands within the same as have at any time been granted by or
under the authority of his Majesty; ... such lands so allotted and
appropriated shall be, as nearly as the circumstances and nature of
the case will admit, of the like quality as the lands in respect of
which the same are so allotted ... and shall be, as nearly as the
same can be estimated at the time of making such grant, equal in
value to the seventh part of the lands so granted.
XLIII. ... all lands which shall be hereafter granted within
the said province of Upper Canada shall be granted in free and
common soccage, in like manner as lands are now holden in free and
common soccage in that part of Great Britain called England; ...
in every case where lands shall be hereafter granted within the
said province of Lower Canada, and where the grantee thereof shall
desire the same to be granted in free and common soccage, the same
shall be so granted; but subject nevertheless to such alterations,
with respect to the nature and consequences of such tenure of free
and common soccage, as may be established by any law or laws which
may be made by his Majesty ... by and with the advice and consent
of the Legislative Council and Assembly of the province.
XLVI. ... nothing in this Act shall extend ... to prevent or affect
the execution of any law which hath been or shall at any time be
made by his Majesty ... and the Parliament of Great Britain, for
establishing regulations of prohibitions, or for imposing, levying
or collecting duties for the regulation of navigation, or for the
regulation of the commerce to be carried on between the said two
provinces or between either of the said provinces and any foreign
country or state, or for appointing and directing the payment of
drawbacks of such duties so imposed....
22. TO THE PACIFIC OVERLAND. THE FIRST CROSSING OF NORTH AMERICA
NORTH OF MEXICO (1793).
=Source.=--Sir A. Mackenzie's _Voyages_. (Cf. 20.)
Sunday, 21 July, 1793.... We landed, and found the ruins of
a village, in a situation calculated for defence. The place
itself was overgrown with weeds, and in the centre of the houses
there was a temple of the same form and construction as that
which I described at the large village. We were soon followed
by ten canoes, each of which contained from three to six men.
They informed us that we were expected at the village, where we
should see many of them. From their general deportment I was very
apprehensive that some hostile design was meditated against us, and
for the first time I acknowledged my apprehensions to my people. I
accordingly desired them to be very much upon their guard, and to
be prepared if any violence was offered to defend themselves to the
last.
We had no sooner landed than we took possession of a rock, where
there was not space for more than twice our number, and which
admitted of our defending ourselves with advantage, in case we
should be attacked. The people in the three first canoes were the
most troublesome, but, after doing their utmost to irritate us,
they went away. They were, however, no sooner gone than an hat, an
handkerchief and several other articles were missing. The rest of
our visitors continued their pressing invitations to accompany them
to their village, but finding our resolution to decline them was
not to be shaken, they about sunset relieved us from all further
importunities by their departure....
The natives having left us, we made a fire to warm ourselves, and
as for supper there was but little of that, for our whole daily
allowance did not amount to what was sufficient for a single meal.
The weather was clear throughout the day, which was succeeded by a
fine moonlight night. I directed the people to keep watch by two in
turn, and laid myself down in my cloak.
Monday, 22nd. This morning the weather was clear and pleasant;
nor had anything occurred to disturb us throughout the night. One
solitary Indian, indeed, came to us with about half a pound of
boiled seal's flesh and the head of a small salmon, for which he
asked an handkerchief, but afterwards accepted a few beads. As this
man came alone, I concluded that no general plan had been formed
among the natives to annoy us, but this opinion did not altogether
calm the apprehensions of my people....
Two canoes now arrived from the same quarter as the rest with
several men and our young Indian along with them. They brought a
very few small sea-otter skins out of season, with some pieces
of raw seal's flesh. The former were of no value, but hunger
compelled some of my people to take the latter at an extravagant
price. Mr. Mackay lighted a bit of touchwood with a burning-glass
in the cover of his tobacco-box, which so surprised the natives
that they exchanged the best of their otter-skins for it. The
young man was now very anxious to persuade our people to depart,
as the natives, he said, were as numerous as mosquitoes and of
very malignant character. This information produced some very
earnest remonstrances to me to hasten our departure, but, as I
was determined not to leave this place, except I was absolutely
compelled to it, till I had ascertained its situation,[3] these
solicitations were not repeated.
While I was taking a meridian, two canoes of a larger size and
well-manned appeared from the main South-West channel. They seemed
to be the forerunners of others who were coming to co-operate with
the people of the village ... and our young Indian, who understood
them, renewed his entreaties for our departure, as they would soon
come to shoot their arrows and hurl their spears at us. In relating
our danger, his agitation was so violent that he foamed at the
mouth.... The two canoes now approached the shore, and in a short
time five men with their families landed very quietly from them. My
instruments being exposed, they examined them with much apparent
admiration and astonishment....
I now mixed up some vermilion in melted grease, and inscribed in
large characters on the South-East face of the rock on which we
had slept last night this brief memorial: "Alexander Mackenzie
from Canada by land, the twenty-second of July, one thousand seven
hundred and ninety-three."
As I thought that we were too near the village, I consented to
leave the place, and accordingly proceeded North-East three miles,
when we landed on a point in a small cove, where we should not be
readily seen and could not be attacked except in our front.