Sessional papers of the Legislature of the Province of Ontario: 1868/69-, Quebec, var. govpr., 1867/68-. (After the British conquest of French
Canada, all of New France was first governed as the single British Province of Quebec. The Governor was empowered to establish an Executive Council and a
General Assembly. The latter never met, since the Canadiens refused en masse to take the loyalty oath which was made a condition of its establishment.
In consequence, all governance was carried on by the Governor and his Executive Council so that, from 1763 until 1774, Quebec was basically under
martial law. A great reform was implemented by the Imperial Parliament with the historic Quebec Act, which received royal assent on 22 June 1774. This act
marked an historic departure by Great Britain from previous colonial practice. Its embodiment of the principle of toleration for non-British elements
in a British colony represented the emergence of a policy of great significance in other British colonies in later years. The act was viewed by the
Canadiens as their great charter of liberty, doing much to keep them loyal to Great Britain during the subsequent American Revolution. However, the
British residents who predominated in the western reaches of the Province of Quebec were the most vocal in expressing dissatisfaction with the Quebec
Act. In 1791, responding to their petitions, the Imperial Parliament passed a new constitutional act for the territory. The problem of reconciling the
interests of the two rapidly diverging peoples was solved by creating two provinces: Lower Canada (modern Quebec) and Upper Canada (modern Ontario).
This regime lasted until 1840, when general dissatisfaction with British rule led to significant unrest. As part of the imperial reaction, the two units
were reunited into the British Province of Canada, with a central governance that lasted until confederation in 1867. With federation the “Lower
Canada” portion of the Province of Canada achieved its current status as the Canadian Province of Quebec. As of 12/11 LLMC’s run of this title covered
v.1869 to 1918, with some gaps. The loan or gift of books to aid in filling those gaps and in extending the run further forward in time would be earnestly
appreciated.)
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