the minute book of the school, and they may also alter the school hours, under peculiar circumstances, on making a like entry. Returns of schools hereafter to be made up on the 15th May and 15th November, and payments made at those times. If the visitors find a school kept bona fide from second Monday in August in any district, which would have been entitled to an allowance, if the meeting of the inhabitants had taken place, and trustees elected according to law, they are authorised to grant the allowance for the time in which it has been kept by an entry in the school minute book. If the visitors find a school bona fide held in any school district (but not the regularly established district school) for more than thirty-five regular pupils, they may certify the same by an entry in the school minute book of the district, and include the master in their return, who shall become entitled to the allowance, provided that the number of schools recommended in the returns does not exceed the number fixed for such county by this act. The visitors are authorised to augment the number of poor children whom the trustees may place in each school from ten to fifteen by an entry in the minute book, provided that twenty regularly attending and paying pupils are at such school. The visitors may also dispense with the condition which requires that no poor child can be admitted gratis, unless there is one of the same family attending the school and paid for. If the visitor find in any school a teacher qualified to teach, and actually teaching both French and English, on making an entry thereof in the minute book, such teacher shall be entitled to 41. per annum, in addition to the 201 already granted. Copies of this act to be sent to the members for the county, for each school district, and a sufficient number of the returns required by the law." Number of Elementary Schools in each County, number of Scholars taught, amount paid for the support of such Schools, and other particulars relating to the Province of Lower Canada, to 15th November, 1835. [B. B. No return for 1836.] Return of the number of Schools in Lower Canada in 1835. Some alterations have been recently made for the purpose of more equally distributing the elementary schools over the Province. The number of school districts, in 1833, was Bonaventure, 22; Gaspé, 14; Rimouski, 35; Kamouraska, 34; L'Islet, 25; Bellechasse, 49; Dorchester, 37; Beauce, 67; Megantic, 17; Lotbiniere, 41; Nicolet, 41; Yamaska, 27; Drummond, 10; Sherbrooke, 51; Stanstead, 62; Missiskoui, 48; Shefford, 25; Richelieu, 29; St. Hyacinthe, 31; Rouville, 47; Vercheres, 17; Chambly, 35; Laprairie, 34; L'Acadie, 30; Beauharnois, 59; Vaudreuil, 24; Ottawa, 19; Two Mountains, 49; Terrebonne, 23; Lachesnaye, 21; L'Assomption, 36; Montreal, 18; Berthier, 48; St. Maurice, 36; Champlain, 27; Portneuf, 45; Quebec, 23; Montmorency, 19; Saguenay, 19; Orleans, 10. Total, 1,295 school districts. There are French colleges also at Quebec, Chambly, Nicolet, and St. Hyacinthe; and there are many high class public and private schools. Remarks. The mode of instruction in each school is greatly at the discretion of the teacher, no particular being enjoined by the Board of Royal Institution. These schools are likewise partially supported by contributions from the parents and others, varying according to circumstances. The schools are under the superintendance of the "Board of Royal Institution for the advancement of learning," incorporated by the Provincial Act 41st George III. cap. 17.; to this board the legislature makes an annual grant. Each teacher is bound to instruct one third of the number of pupils gratuitously, and in no case to charge more than 3s. 4d. per month. The visitors may vary the rate according to the number of children in each family who attend school, and the circumstances of the parents. There are also two grammar schools, one at Quebec and another at Montreal, supported by an annual grant of 2001. each, from the Jesuit Estates Fund; with 901. and 501. respectively for house rent. These are also under the superintendance of the Royal Institutions. The system of instruction is that of the public grammar schools in England; 26 free scholars are admitted in each of them. The rate of tuition for others is 121. per annum. There are also upwards of 1,000 schools established under the Provincial Act 9th George IV. cap. 46; attended by about 45,600 scholars, of both sexes. 201. are allowed to each teacher, having at least 20 scholars. These scholars are under the direction of trustees, annually elected by the inhabitants. No particular system of tuition is followed, but the Lancastrian is pursued in a few of them. There are also several Roman Catholic colleges in the Province, and a number of private seminaries for the higher branches of education. of divinity, medicine, anatomy, philosophy, mathematics, &c., and the chairs are all ably filled. The fine arts are making no inconsiderable progress. The Museum of Natural History, of Montreal, is increasing rapidly; and the Literary and Historical Society, of Quebec, is rising into notice; hopes are entertained that, when the existence of these institutions are more generally known in England, books, tracts, and manuscripts, &c., will be sent from the mother country. There are several public libraries : one in Quebec contains upwards of 6,000 volumes of standard and valuable works, and the Montreal public library is fast overtaking its elder brother of Quebec ; and there are the mechanic's institutions, school societies, and agricultural associations, &c. Intimately connected with education is the state of crime. The following is the latest return at the Colonial Office. By comparing the returns with those of Upper Canada, or an equal amount of population in another colony, the state of crime and morals may In several of the colleges there are professorships in some degree be estimated. IX. Return of the Gaols, and of the Prisoners confined therein, in Lower Canada, in 1836. [B.B.] No. of Prisoners. No. of Debtors. Number of Prisoners in the Gaols of Lower Canada throughout the Year. No. of Misdemeanours. No. of Felons. No. of Prisoners tried. Years. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Diet of the Prisoners in the Gaol of Quebec.-One | at least 80,000 electors, of whom nine-tenths are pound and a half of the best brown bread per day, proprietors of the soil; several counties have from with one quart of gruel, or two pounds of potatoes. 4 to 5,000 electors, all of whom are landed proprietors. The weekly cost per head for each prisoner is about The total number of proprietors of real property in 2s. 24d. The sick receive whatever may be ordered 1831, was 57,891; and of persons holding property by the physician. Destitute prisoners are provided not otherwise than real, 25,208. Of families emwith such clothes as are absolutely necessary, on an ployed in agriculture, 50,824; and of families engaged approved estimate. The bedding consists of a straw in commerce, only 2,503. The number of farm serpalliasse, one sheet, two blankets, and a rug. The vants employed was 7,602, which shows what a large prisons are under the superintendence of the sheriff. proportion of the agriculturists are small farmers. Number of Officers, and how appointed.—A gaoler, The number of persons subsisting on alms, in a total a superintendant of works, and a matron appointed population of upwards of half a million, was only by the sheriff, and two turnkeys appointed by the 1,282; and which, I suppose, included a large progoaler. The employment of the prisoners consists in portion of 408 deaf and dumb, 334 blind, and 924 picking oakum, teazing hair, sawing and splitting fire- insane persons. wood, &c. The females sew, wash, knit, spin, card, weave, &c. The hours of labour are from seven to twelve and from one to six. Prisoners not for hard labour are allowed the use of the airing-yard until four, P.M., in summer. The amount of earnings are credited to Government, and go towards the maintenance of the establishment. The building is in a very dilapidated state, and has been reported to be very insecure by each successive grand jury which has visited it during the last 10 years. [B. B. for 1836.] X. The constitution of the Lower Province, until the late insurrection suspended it, may be thus summarily stated. The authority of the sovereign of Canada, limited by the laws of Great Britain and by the capitulations of the Province. The supreme legislative authority in His Majesty and the two houses of the Imperial Parliament; this authority again limited by the capitulations and its own acts; the most remarkable of which, the Act 18 George III. cap. 12, confirmed by 31st George III. cap. 13. declares that no taxes shall be imposed on the colonies but for the regulation of trade, and that the proceeds of such taxes shall be applied to and for the use of the Province, in such manner as shall be directed by any law or laws which may be made by His Majesty, his heirs or successors, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and Assembly of the Province. The Provincial Legislature consists of His Majesty, acting by the Governor of the Province for His Majesty, of a Legislative Council of 34 members, the Chief Justice and Protestant Bishop, appointed by His Majesty for life; of a House of Assembly, of 88 members, elected for four years by His Majesty's subjects resident within the Province, and possessed, for their own use and benefit, in the counties, of real property to the yearly value of 40s. sterling; in the towns of the yearly value of 51. sterling, or paying rent to the amount of 101. sterling. No religious disabilities exist as to electors, but clergymen or Jews are not eligible as representatives. The Assembly is empowered to make laws for "the peace, welfare and good of the government" of the Province, such laws not being repugnant to the Act of 31 George III. c. 31, elections by open voting. Members of the House of Assembly allowed, by grant of the Legislature, an indemnity of 10s. currency per diem, and 4s. per league from their places of residence to the town or capital where the sittings of the Legislature are held, which is Quebec. Session of the Parliament of Lower Canada generally lasts three months, seldom more than four, and is held during the winter. Salary of the Speaker of the House of Assembly 900!. voted annually by the Provincial Legislature. The constituency of Lower Canada is very widely diffused-among the half million of people there are The Governor, in his Majesty's name, assembles, prorogues, and dissolves the two houses, which must be called together once in every twelve calendar months. All questions arising in either of the two houses, are decided by the majority of the members present by open voting. The Governor gives, withholds, or reserves for the further signification of His Majesty's pleasure, the royal sanction to bills proposed by the two other branches. Laws assented to by the Governor, may be disallowed by His Majesty within two years. His Majesty cannot assent to any act or acts affecting the enjoyment of the dues of the clergy of the Church of Rome, or affecting the establishment of the Church of England within the Province, or the provisions made for the same, or the enjoyment or exercise of any religious form or mode of worship, or creating penalties, burthens, disabili ties, or disqualifications on that account, or granting, or imposing any new dues in favour of any ministers of any former form of worship, or affecting the prerogative, touching the granting of the waste lands of the Crown; without such acts having been 30 days before both houses of the British Parliament, and neither of the houses having addressed His Majesty not to sanction the same. When Canada was in possession of the French, the government was nearly pure despotism. Shortly after the cession of the province of Lower Canada to the British Crown, the King of England, in a proclamation dated the 7th of October, 1763, declared, that "all the inhabitants of the province, and all others resorting to it, might confide in his royal protection for enjoying the benefit of the laws of England." In 1774, the first Act of Parliament was passed, fixing the boundaries of Canada, making provision for the better government of this part of the British dominions, and vesting the authority in a governor, aided by a council of not less than 17 persons, and not exceeding 23 in number, who had power to frame ordinances, but not to levy taxes, except for making of public roads and erecting a few local structures. By this Act the English criminal law was preserved; but it was enacted, “that in all matters of controversy relative to property and civil rights resort should be had to the rule and decision of the laws of Canada," excepting, however, in this concession to French law: "lands which had been or should be granted in free and common soccage." The Roman Catholic religion, with all its immunities and rights, was secured to the Canadians. After 17 years' interval, this Act was followed by Mr. Pitt's, or rather Lord Grenville's Act, styled the Constitution of 1791, under the provisions of which Canada was divided into upper and lower provinces. This Act gave to Lower Canada a Constitution, consisting of a Governor and Executive Council of 11 Y members, appointed by the Crown (similar to the Privy Council in England); a Legislative Council, appointed by mandamus from the King, forming the second estate, and then consisting of 15 members (but since increased to 34, including the Protestant Bishop of Quebec and the Chief Justice, who is Speaker); and a Representative Assembly, or third estate, composed of 50 members, and consisting of four citizens from each of the cities of Quebec and Montreal; three burgesses (being two for the town of Three Rivers, and one for William Henry, so called in honour of the visit of his late Majesty), and the remaining number divided over the province as knights of the shire, representing 22 counties, into which Lower Canada was divided. Population was partly made the basis for regulating the division: thus a small and thickly-populated territory on the banks of | the St. Lawrence was found sufficient to form a county; and in the more distant parts large areas were included in one county, in order to combine the requisite amount of population necessary to a representative election. The unequal manner in which this division of counties, with regard to population, and not to area, was felt after a few years, and a new county division proposed and adopted by the Provincial Act ix., Geo. IV.; but in order to understand the change which took place in the extension of the representation, it will be requisite to show the division as it stood according to the Act of 1791. This I can best do by the following return of the census of Lower Canada in 1827 and 1831, with the number of Members returned to the Assembly. NEW SUB-DIVISIONS AND NAMES.-* Gaspé and Bonaventure. (1) Kamouraska and Rimouski. (2) Islet. (3) Bellechasse. (4) Beauce and Dorchester. (5) Yamaska, Drummond, Nicolet, Lotbiniere, Sherbrooke, and Megantic. (6) Richelieu, St. Hyacinthe, Shefford, and Stanstead. (7) Rouville and Missisqui. (8) Verchers. (9) Chambly. (10) Acadie, Beauharnois and La-Prairie. (11) Two Mountains, Vaudreuil, and Ottowa. (12) Terrebone. (13) L'Assomption and La Chenay. (14) Berthier. (15) St. Maurice and Champlain. (16) Portneuf. (17) Montmorenci and Saguenay. The laws in force in Lower Canada are: 1st. The acts of the British Parliament which extend to the Colonies: 2nd. Capitulations and treaties: 3rd. The laws and customs of Canada, founded principally on the jurisprudence of the Parliament of Paris, as it stood in 1663, the edicts of the French kings, and their colonial authorities, and the Roman civil law: 4th. The criminal law of England as it stood in 1774, and as explained by subsequent statutes: 5th. The ordinances of the Governor and Council, established by the act of that year and 6th. The acts of the Provincial Legislature since 1792. These laws are executed in His Majesty's name, and, in virtue of his commission and instructions, by the Governor, or person administering the government, by the means of a number of inferior officers, all of whom are appointed during pleasure. The Governor also possesses all other powers and prerogatives, generally, which, His Majesty may legally enjoy, and delegates to him. The Governor of Lower Canada is Governor General of all the British Colonies in North America, and Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in those Provinces. The judiciary consists of a High Court of Appeal, a Court of King's Bench, presided over by |