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NEW caNsrlrUrwN FOR LOWER u NADA, (From Neilson’s Quebec Gazette, March 22)

The following is the new constitutional pro- ject adopted by the House of Assembly of this Province, and embodied in an Address to the King on the 20th inst :—

“Without the express orders ofyonr Hon. House, your Committee would have felt hesita- tion in reporting their own opinion as to means of providinga remedy for this constitutional defect in our government, as the basis of re.

resentations to be made on the part of your

onorable house. Although all the interests of the country are therein fully and equally re- presented, those to whom a defective system of government have given an unconstitutional preponderance, might make a handle of it to cause the expression of your opinion not to be looked upon as that of the population in gene- ral; and, by the operation of the same system, the representation ofinterested public function. aries, and of privileged persons in the Colony, might reach the general government ofthe em. pire, carrying the same weight as those reprc. sentatives freely elected by the whole people. This danger added to the wide local distance might cause measures adopted in the United Kingdom with the best intentions, but without practical and local knowledge, to be discord- ant with the true interests of the Province, and even to hurt thoseinterests in essential points.

“ Your Committee humbly suggest, that in the event of the Imperial Government becom- ing convinced ofthe difﬁculties that have been laid open, there would be the certain means of preventing them, by placing the pe0ple ofthe country in general in a situation to express their opinion, and to recommend proper modi- ﬁcations through the delegates freely and in- discriminately chosen for that purpose, by all classes and not of all classes of the community, so as to harmonize with the interests ofthe Province, and with those of His Majesty‘s Go- vernment, which cannot be separated from each other. Such a body, constituted in virtue of an Act of Parliament of the United King- dom, to whom they would have afterwards to make a report of their labours would, whilstit could be no disparagement to the Supreme au- thority of the empire, be in unison with numer- ous examples in the free institutions of this con- tinent, with respect to- which it has often been declared that England desired to leave nothing to he wished for by the inhabitants of these Colonies.

“A General Assembly oftliat kind, would prove to be a faithful interpreter of all the in. terests of the Colony taken collectively, inclu- ding those which it was the intention to be can- sed to be represented by the Legislative Coun- cil, and those which that body claim to repre- sent. Those interests would in effect possess therein all their weight and all their legiti- mate inﬂuence. Unless indeed it be maintain- ed, that whilst the Executive Branch of the Colonial Government, established by His Ma- jesty in the persons of his Governors, repre- sents the interests of the Metropolitan State. there ought to be also another constituted Branch out ofthe country. and compounded of elements without any aﬂinity with the varied states ofbeing ofthose who inhabit it.

“However that may be, in the event of your honorable house not considering it at the mo. ment expedient to solicit such a measure, your Committee having shown the result of their deliberations, will not take upon themselves to determine whether the entire abolition of the present Legislative Council of this Province, and the assimiliation of its government to that of several of the adjacent Colonies, would tend

THE BRITISH AMERICAN

to cause peace and harmony to be re-establish- ed in the conduct of affairs. The people ofthe Country,.if they had an opportunity of being legally constituted for that purpose, would be the bestjudges to decide this weighty question. Your Committee have therefore proceeded up. on the supposition that an immediate Legisla- tive Branch, may, in certain cases, produce more maturity in the deliberation and exami- nation of Bills thaan only one body were call- ed upon to assent to them—at the same time circumstances of rare acetirrence might hap

pen in which the popular representation might for the moment, contravene the interests of the body of their constituents, and that those interests might be cherished in the second

Branch, and guarded, until the wishes of the people were more fully expressed, either by more decided representations or by the means of new elections. * " *

“ There only appears to remain forthe con- sideration of your Committee, the prinCIple of Election to rest upon. as being capable,in prac- tier, of analogy with the second branch 01 the Imperial Legislature.

“Your Committee entertain no doubt ofthe result of the adoption of this principle, if the Election depended upon a numerous body of Electors, composed of the best ingredients and the best interests of the Colony; and if the choice were conﬁned to persons possessed of a certain easy degree of fortune, without. how- ever, raising that qualification so high that such choice could only be made, in any case, but out ofa small number ofeligible persons. Your Committee would expect to see the best effects from a Legislative body constituted up- on tliis basis, if, whilst its principle of action was found in the interests of His Majesty’s sub. JCCtS in this Province, as a general and com- mon motive, it found itself, in its formation and its proceeding, independent ofthe popular Assembly. It would undoubtedly be thus with the above qualification, and with adiﬂ'erent mode ofrcnewal, so as to give more perina. nence to the body that is now in question.

“ It is upon these several considerations, that your Committee submit the following de- tails :-—An elective Legislative Council, cho. sen by landholders, having a nett annual in- come oftOl. inthe Country, and ‘20]. in cities; and who have been residents for at least one 'ear Within the circle wherein the election takes place.

“ The eligibility to be restricted to thesub- jects of His .Majesty having attained the age of at least thirty years ; residents of the Pro. vince. and having resided therein at least ﬁf. teen years, and possessing an annual freehold income arising from property situated within the Province, for at least one hundred pounds for those elected for the country, and of at least two hundred pounds for those for the CL tics of Quebec and Montreal.

“The duration of the Body limited to six years; the renewal to he made by one sixth part every year, it being to be determined during the ﬁrst ﬁve years by lot which of the Members chosen at the General Election shall have to retire. When there shall happen to be any vacancies, those who succeed to them to he Members only for the period which would have remained to their predecessors.

“The numbers ofthe Members to be equal to that of the counties, cities, and divisions thereof, or other circles, sending Members to the House ofAssembly, with the exception of Boroughs whose p0pulation does not amount to 2000 souls, who would only have to vote in the Counties of which they make part. So that the number of Councillors would be nearly half of that of the Members of the Assembly.

£040

“The Speaker orChairmam chosen by the Members, subject to the a re bation of His Majesty. PP ‘*

‘t The Judges to bc inelligible, as well as the Clergy.

“The Members of the present Legislali, Council not to belong to the new Councn ex cept they are reelected; at all events. slioul His Majesty's Government insist upon retain,“ them, they shouid only be considered as stipef nunicrary Members, and Would have to jumf qualification in landed property, and resign their places of proﬁt, in conformity with u. present Report.

H The Legislative Council not to be subjec to dissolution.

“ The Members not to accept, otherwise tha by Bill, places of proﬁt or honor during- goo plr asure,excepting‘ those ofJustice ofthe Fe“ and in the Militia, nor become accountable for public money, nor receive any dircctly or ind, rectly from the Excelitivc Government, nude whatever denomination, without subjectin themselves to a re-election.

“The individuals who offer themselves: Candidates, shall make oath as to their qualiﬁ cations; if the Candidates are not present, tin-e Electors must make afﬁrmation as to that quali ﬁcation to their best of their knowledge. Th Members elected, shall before they take thei seats, take the same oath, and shall be boun to renew it at all times upon order of th Body. " When it happens that Members are electe at the same time both for the Legislative Cou oil and for the Assembly, they shall make choic of either one or other of the Houses, withi a prescribed time.

“ Your Committee cannot close their Repnr without expressing their regret, that the spocia statement ofthe views of His Majesty’s Govern ment on this important matter, promised by tb Right Hon. Lord Viscount Goderich, His Ma jesty’s principal Secretary Of State for the Co lonies, in his despatch of the 7th ofJuly,has no reached your Honourable House, so that the. might be aided in their eiidcamnrs to remed an acknowledged evil.

“The whole ne vertheless humbly submi

ted- “ E. BEDARD. “ 14th March, 1833." Canaan. (The Committee who agreed to this Rrpo were Messrs. Elzcar Bedard, Bourdages. Wit, Lafontaine, Morin, and Poulip. ltw taken into consideration and passed the lam evening; yeas 42 to ‘29 and 37 to ‘27 About dozen of members who were present at lli call of the House that evening, being absent.

THE BRITléﬁhMERICAN. MAY 4, 18373.

Our paper has been unavoidably delays until this day (Monday) I . Earl Grey, Capt. James, arrivedin 1h port late on Saturday night, bringmg lh Mail from Pictou. The Steani-boat_Poc hontas, made her ﬁrst appearance this 50 son yesterday morning, after remaining very short time; she returned with the land mail for Pictou. The Halifax pill)e contain English dates two days later lh our last, but the news they contain are it important.

Cholera.—It is stated in a late New-Ye per, that this disease raged with such v10

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