Quebec Act
[1774]
Claude
Bélanger,
Department of History,
Marianopolis College
The
impending American Revolution and the fear that the "Canadiens" might
join them in the revolt led the British government to pass "An Act for making
more effectual provision for the government of the Province of Quebec in North
America" (Quebec Act) in 1774. Moreover, the government of Great Britain
had come to realise that the policy of assimilation spelled out in the Royal Proclamation did not make sense in view of the fact that the Province of Quebec seemed destined
to remain largely French in the foreseeable future and that few British immigrants
had shown interest in coming into the province. Hence, the assimilating policies
of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 had to be officially abandoned. As Edmund Burke explained in the House of Commons the aim of the Act was to preserve the Canadiens' "old prejudices (and) their old customs." As much as was possible, the
aim was to reconstitute New France and, as Burke pointed out, "the only difference
is, they will have George the third for Louis the sixteenth."
By
virtue of the Quebec Act, the Royal Proclamation was revoked;
the territory of the Province of Quebec was greatly enlarged to
include, in particular, the much disputed Ohio Valley. The governing
of the Province would continue to be entrusted to a Governor who
would be assisted by an appointed Council; a modified Oath rendered
it possible for the Canadiens to participate in the running of
the colony; a House of Assembly was deemed "inexpedient".
The legal system was to consist of a mixture of British criminal
laws and French civil laws (to this day this is the system that
prevails in Quebec). The recognition of French civil laws entitled
the Roman Catholic Church to collect its tithe with the full weight
of the law on its side (although the tithe could not be collected on properties owned by Protestants), while the seigneurs benefited from the guarantee
to the seigneurial system that the reintroduction of French laws
entailed. A supplementary bill, embodied in the Quebec Act the
following year, imposed only such taxes as had been customary
during the French regime.
Scene
depicted by Charles W. Simpson of the first meeting of the
expanded
Council following the adoption of the Quebec Act
The
Quebec Act constituted a bold move on the part of Britain. Roman Catholics
were emancipated in Quebec a full half century before their co-religionists in
Britain received similar benefits. The law recognised the special character and
position of Quebec within the Empire but fell far short from satisfying the average
Canadien. Consequently the Canadiens refused to move against the Americans and
plans by England to crush the rebellion with their help proved unsuccessful. Nevertheless,
Britain was successful enough with the concessions made in the Quebec Act to prevent
the Canadiens from joining the Americans in large numbers; had Britain not granted the Quebec Act
it is possible to imagine that Canada would not exist today. ©
1998 Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College
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