or by certificate derived under the authority of the governor and council of Quebec, of the yearly value of forty shillings, clear of all rents, charges, &c. The members for towns or townships are chosen by a majority of the votes of such persons as possess houses and lands for their own use, of the yearly value of five pounds sterling, or as have resided in the town or township for one year, and paid a rent for a house during the time, at the rate of ten pounds yearly. No person is eligible to serve as a member of the assembly, who is a member of the legislative council, or a minister, priest, ecclesiastic, or religious personage of the church of England, Rome, or of any other church. No person is qualified to vote or serve, who is not twentyone years of age; nor any person, not a natural-born subject, or who has not been naturalized, either by law or conquest; nor any one who has been attainted of treason in any court in his majesty's dominions, or who has been disqualified by an act of assembly or council. Every voter, if called upon, must take an oath, either in French or English, that he is of age; that he is qualified to vote according to law; and that he has not voted before at that election. The governor has the power of appointing the place of session, and of calling together, of proroguing, and of dissolving the assembly. The assembly is not to last longer than four years, but it may be dissolved sooner. The governor is bound to call it at least once in each year. The oath of a member, on taking his seat, is comprised in a few words: he promises to bear true allegiance to the king, as lawful sovereign of Great Britain, and the province of Canada dependent upon it; to defend him against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts, which he may at any time be acquainted with; all which he promises without mental evasion, reservation, or equivocation, at the same time renouncing all pardons and dispensations from any person or power whatsoever. The governors of the two provinces are totally independent of each other in their civil capacity; in military affairs, the governor of the lower province takes prece dence, as he is usually created captain-general of his ma jesty's forces in North America. The present system of judicature in each province was established by the Quebec Bill of 1774. By this bill it was enacted, that all persons in the country should be entitled to hold their lands or possessions in the same manner as before the conquest, according to the laws and usages then existing in Canada; and that all controversies relative to property or civil rights should also be determined by the same laws and usages. These old laws and usages, however, were not to extend to the lands which might thereafter be granted by his Britannic majesty in free and common socage: here English laws were to be in full force; so that the English inhabitants, who have settled for the most part on new lands, are not subject to the controul of these old French laws, that were existing in Canada when the country was conquered-except a dispute concerning property or civil rights should arise between any of them and the French inhabitants, in which case the matter is to be determined by the French laws. Every friend to civil liberty would wish to see these laws abolished, for they weigh very unequally in favour of the rich and of the poor; but as long as the French inhabitants remain so wedded as they are at present to old customs, there is little hope of seeing any alteration of this nature take place. At the same time that the French laws were suffered by the Quebec bill to exist, in order to conciliate the affections of the French inhabitants, who were attached to them, the criminal law of England was established throughout every part of the country; "and this was one of the happiest circumstances," as the Abbe Raynal observes, "that Canada could experience; as deliberate, rational, public trials took place of the impenetrable mysterious transactions of a cruel inquisition; and as a tribunal, that had theretofore been dreadful and sanguinary, was filled with humane judges, more disposed to acknowledge, innocence than to suppose criminality." The governor, the lieutenant-governor, or the person administering the government, the members of the executive council, the chief justice of the province, and the judges of the court of king's bench, or any five of them, form a court of appeal, the judges however excepted of that district from whence the appeal is made. From the decision of this court an appeal may be had in certain cases to the king in council. Every religion is tolerated, in the fullest extent of the word, in both provinces; and no disqualifications are imposed on any persons on account of their religious opinions. The Roman Catholic religion is that of a great majority of the inhabitants; and by the Quebec bill of 1774, the ecclesiastics of that persuasion are empowered by law to recover all the dues which, previous to that period, they were ac customed to receive, as well as tithes, that is, from the Roman catholic inhabitants; but they cannot exact any dues or tithes from Protestants, although formerly such lands might have been subjected to dues and tithes for the support of the Roman catholic church. The dues and tithes from off these lands are still, however, to be paid; but they are to be paid by persons appointed by the governor, and the amount of them is to be reserved, in the hands of his majesty's receiver-general, for the support of the protestant clergy actually residing in the province. By the act of the year 1791, it was ordained, that the governor should allot out of all lands belonging to the crown, which should be granted after that period, oneseventh for the benefit of a protestant clergy, to be solely applicable to their use; and all such allotments must be particularly specified in every grant of waste lands, otherwise the grant is void. With the advice of the executive council, the governor is authorised to constitute or erect parsonages or rectories, and to endow them out of these appropriations, and to present incumbents to them, ordained according to the rites of the church of England; which incumbents are to perform the same duties, and to hold their parsonages or rectories in the same manner as incumbents of the church of England do in that country. The clergy of the church of England in both provinces, consists at present of twenty persons only, including the bishop of Quebec; that of the church of Rome, however, consists of no less than one hundred and twenty-six ; viz. a bishop who takes his title from Quebec, his "coadjuteur elu," who is bishop of Canathe, three vicars-general, and one hundred and sixteen curates and missionaries, all of whom are resident in the lower province, except five curates and missionaries. The number of the dissenting clergy, in both provinces, is considerably smaller, than that of the clergy of the church of England. The expences of the civil list in Lower Canada are estimated at £20,000 sterling per annum, one half of which is defrayed by Great Britain, and the remainder by the province, out of the duties paid on the importation of certain articles. The expense of the civil list in Upper Canada is considerably less; perhaps not so much as one-fourth of that of the lower proviuce. The military establishment in both provinces, together with the repairs of fortifications, &c. are computed to cost Great Britain annually £100,000 sterling. The presents distributed amongst the Indians, and the salaries paid to the different officers in the Indian depart. ment, are estimated at £100,000 sterling more, annually. Amongst the officers in the Indian department are, superintendants general, deputy superintendants, inspector general, deputy inspectors general, secretaries, assistant secretaries, storekeepers, clerks, agents, interpreters, issuers of provisions, surgeons, gunsmiths, &c. &c. &c. most of whom, in the lower province, have now sinecure places, as there are but few Indians in the country; but in the upper province they have active service to perform. The following is a statement of some of the salaries paid to the officers of government in the province of Lower Canada : Secretary and register to the province 400 Clerk of the court of appeals, with fire wood and 120 and stationa.y Secretary to the governor 200 French secretary to the governor, and translator 200 to the council Chief justice of Quebec, who is chief justice of the 1,200 province Chief justice of Montreal 900 Grand voyer of Montreal 100 Grand voyer of Three Rivers Superintendant of provincial post houses Clerk of the crown · Inspector of police at Quebec Four missionaries to Indians, each One missionary to Indians Inspector of police at Montreal Schoolmaster at Quebec Schoolmaster at Montreal Schoolmaster at Carlisle, Bay de Chaleurs Overseers, to prevent fires at Quebec, and to sweep 60 Salary of the bishop of Quebec, who is bishop of £2,000 both provinces The pensions, on an average, usually amount to about £2,000 annually. A STATEMENT of the Articles subject to Duty on Importa tion into Canada, and the Duties payable thereon. Brandy and other spirits, the manufacture of Great 8. d. 03 Rum and other spirits, imported from the colonies in the West Indies, per gallon 06 Brandy and spirits of foreign manufacture imported from Great Britain, per gallon 10 Additional duty on the same, per gallon 03 Rum or spirits manufactured in the United States, per gallon 1 0 Molasses and Syrups imported in British shipping, per gallon 0 3 06 Additional duty, per gallon Molasses and Syrups legally imported in other than Additional duty, per gallon Madeira wine, per gallon Other wines · N. B. Wine can be imported directly from Madeira, or from any of the African islands, into Canada; but no European wine or brandy can be imported, except through England. Loaf or lump sugar, per lb. Muscovado or clayed sugar Coffee, per lb. Leaf tobacco, per lb. Salt, the minot 03 0 1 02 02 02 0 41 N. B. The minot is a measure commonly used in Canada, which is to the Winchester bushel, as 100 is to 101,765. The imports into Canada consist of all the various articles which a young country, that does not manufacture much for its own use, can be supposed to stand in need of; such as earthenware, hardware, and household furniture, |