The Council for the Affairs of the Province of Quebec, more commonly called the Legislative Council of Quebec (but not to be confused with the
later institution with that same name), was an advisory body constituted by section XII of the ''
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act 1774 (french: Acte de Québec), or British North America (Quebec) Act 1774, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which set procedures of governance in the Province of Quebec. One of the principal components of the Act w ...
'' of 1774. Together with the
representative of the Crown (the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
,
Lieutenant-Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-co ...
or the temporary Administrator of the province), it acted, between 1774 and 1791, as the
legislature
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
of the old
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
.
Powers
The Council had the "Power and Authority to make Ordinances for the Peace, Welfare, and good Government, of the said Province, with the Consent of his Majesty's Governor, or, in his Absence, of the Lieutenant-governor, or Commander in Chief for the Time being.", excepting the power to:
Eligibility
Section VII of the ''Quebec Act'' opened the door of all provincial offices to
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
subjects. The section exempted Catholics from taking the
Test Oath (the
abjuration
Abjuration is the solemn repudiation, abandonment, or renunciation by or upon oath, often the renunciation of citizenship or some other right or privilege. The term comes from the Latin ''abjurare'', "to forswear".
Abjuration of the realm
Abju ...
of the Catholic faith) and made them take an alternative
oath of allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. Fo ...
to the British Crown:
Because of this special oath they were required to vow, Canadian Catholics, who formed the immense majority of the population in the province, were permitted to take a more direct part to the legislation of their native country. In practise however, Catholic Legislative Councillors remained a minority in the Council from its creation in 1774 to its abolition in 1791.
Composition
Councillors numbered between at least seventeen and no more than twenty-three. In 1775,
Colonial Secretary Lord Dartmouth
Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth.
History
The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster. His eldest son William Legge was a ...
instructed
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
Guy Carleton to call in these individuals to fill in the Council:
*
Hector Theophilus de Cramahé
Hector Theophilus de Cramahé (1 October 1720 – 9 June 1788), born Théophile Hector Chateigner de Cramahé, was Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec, and titular Lieutenant Governor of Detroit.
He was born in Dublin, the son of a Hug ...
, Lieutenant Governor
*
Hugh Finlay
Hugh may refer to:
*Hugh (given name)
Noblemen and clergy French
* Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks
* Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II
* Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...
*
Thomas Dunn
*
James Cuthbert
*
Colin Drummond
*
François Lévesque
*
Edward Harrison
*
John Collins
*
Adam Mabane
*
Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry
*
Paul-Roch de Saint-Oursbr>
*
Pécaudy de Contrecœur
*
George Waters Allsopp
*
Charles-François Tarieu de La Naudière
*
La Corne Saint-Luc
*
Alexander Johnstone
*
Conrad Gugy
The Hon. Conrad Gugy ( 1734 – 10 April 1786) was a Dutch-Canadian political figure who was secretary to Sir Frederick Haldimand in Lower Canada and a seigneur.
Early life
He was born at The Hague, the eldest son of Hans George Gugi (b.1700), of ...
*
François-Marie Picoté de Belestre
François-Marie Picoté, sieur de Belestre II (17 November 1716 – 30 March 1793) was a colonial soldier for both New France and Great Britain.
As a soldier in the French troupes de la marine, Belestre fought against British and American co ...
*
Charles-Régis Des Bergères de Rigauville
*
John Fraser
Some of these members had been sitting on the first Council of Quebec constituted by Governor General
James Murray in 1764 to advise on all matters of State. About 12 years later, in May 1787, the Council's composition was:
* Hector Theophilus de Cramahé,
*
William Smith,
* Edward Harrison,
* Adam Mabane,
* Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry,
* John Fraser,
*
William Grant,
*
François Baby,
*
Samuel Johannes Holland
Samuel Johannes Holland (1728 – 28 December 1801) was a Dutch-born Royal Engineer and first Surveyor General of British North America.
Life in the Netherlands
Holland was born in 1728 in Deventer, the Netherlands. He was baptised on 22 S ...
*
René-Amable Boucher de Boucherville,
* Hugh Finlay,
* John Collins,
*
George Pownall
* François-Marie Picoté de Belestre,
*
Henry Caldwell
* Paul-Roch de Saint-Ours,
*
Joseph-Dominique-Emmanuel Le Moyne de Longueuil Joseph-Dominique-Emmanuel Le Moyne de Longueuil (April 2, 1738 – January 19, 1807) was a soldier, seigneur and politician in New France and Quebec.
The son of Paul-Joseph Le Moyne de Longueuil and Marie-Geneviève Joybert de Soulanges, he ...
*
John Johnson,
*
Jean-Baptiste Le Comte Dupré
With the adoption of the ''
Constitutional Act'' of 1791, the sections of the ''Quebec Act'' dealing with the Council, its composition, and powers, were repealed. However, most of the members then sitting on the Council were called into the new
Legislative Council of Lower Canada
The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly ...
created by the said act.
Notes
References
*
*
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act 1774 (french: Acte de Québec), or British North America (Quebec) Act 1774, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which set procedures of governance in the Province of Quebec. One of the principal components of the Act w ...
or {{cite wikisource , title=An Act for making more effectual Provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec in North America 14th year of the reign of George III, chapter 83 (U.K.), 1774
See also
*
Constitutional history of Canada
The constitutional history of Canada begins with the 1763 Treaty of Paris, in which France ceded most of New France to Great Britain. Canada was the colony along the St Lawrence River, part of present-day Ontario and Quebec. Its government under ...
Legal history of Canada
Political history of Quebec
1774 establishments in the Province of Quebec (1763–1791)
Parliaments of Canada
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...