At the time when Canada leas conquered by Bri4 min, the lands the country were waver.] sally held by feudal tenures, all of which being con.' firmed by the British Government, still remain in force. But the townships and tracts subaequeetly disposed of, have been, with two or three exceptions, granted in free . and common soccage. Under the French Government, the lands.were held immediate. ly from the King, either en fief or en rotate; each proprietor being bound to render homage to the so vereign, on his accession to the miriade' property, The revenues of the seigneurs arise from various sources. They are entitled te certain fines fine their vassals, which are paid on the alienation of any part of the property. In the event of a sale, a an of money equal to a twelfth} part of the price, is pay. able to the seignior, and he has also the right, with. in forty days after the sale, to lake * property sold at the highest price of(ered,—c right, however, which is fielders exercised. In the eweat of new lands lie. ing granted, a fah part of the whale purchase money is payable to the seigneur, which, if paid immediate. ly, entities she purchaser to a dedection oftwo-thirdi of the fine. The vassals are also 'bound to grind their corn at the lord's mill, and this zondition is found on massy occasions to be. exceedingly irksome. In a large seigniory, for example, there may not be more than one mill ; and though it should be tea miles distant frail the tenant's fares, and although he might have his corn. ground on better terms at some adjoining mill, he as, nevertheless, hound to carry it to the seignior's mill, under a heavy penalty. Another evil of these seignpvial rights is, that they are by no means well defined, and that the vassal is, in consequence; subjected to exorbitant and unjust demands, when the superior happens to be of n. piwious disposition. In the pre.vmcial assembly, the -propriety of setting bounds to -these undefined privi leges has been frequently .urged by the English Members. But the french party, attached to old 'habits, which they found ccindiscive to their interest, 'hive hitherto strenuously and successfully resisted any alteration of the established The seignior is entitled to receive a tithe oldie produce of all the fisheries which are established the bounds of his seigniory. He has also the privilege d felling the timber which grows in any pert of ilis•seignierY, for the purpose of erecting mills, repairing roads, or constructing new ones, or for any other purl' of general salty. Many of hare acquireelwealth from these revenum, isterni:.82 and twiaters of landed property Wig of late Yews boson* numerous.
Lands held by Catholics, under any of the afbreeteationed tenures, are "still subject to the payment of one twenty-sixth part of all the grain produced upon them, • for the maintetance of their curates, and to occasional aereasinentsfor build. leg and repairing churches. The lands of the province, which are not held under these tenures, are subjected to a reservation out of the produce of two-sevenths, one of which• goes to the Crown, and the ether is set apart for the nudutenanee of the Protestant clergy.
Thelon of England, bethckil and-criminal, were introduced into Canada after its conquest in 1759 ; and the criniinal code of Britain, which freed the Chmtdiant from the tyrannical modes of procedure to which they were formerly exposed, was genteelly considered tut a most important improvement. Bet the civil code of England was net resolved with equal satisfaction. The inhabitants were attached by_habit and prejudice to the ancient Brow by 'property was regulated ; and, by the sot of rrys, tWrefore, that system was restored. The go. vernotent of the country was, at the same time, vein ed in a council, composed of certain individuals, chosen by the soveresgth In 1794, by the met Gee. nz., all the advantage. of the British Con. silts tion were extended to Canada. Two henna of legislature were at the same- time appointed, namely, a legislative council and assembly. The legislaske council 6f Upper Canada consists of aet•fhwer than seven members; and that of Lower Canada of not fewer than fifteen, appointedby. die King. The house oravvemaly it composed of fifty-twe mambas, wheats. generally' intensive proprietontof land. In the dn. trine and counties, ' thepaeesso of a property of the annual value of forty sblHinge are quallffedio vote ; and in the city of Quebec and • the other towns, the voters must either be possessed of adwellingoulo, and piece of ground, of not leerannual v than. L. 5 'Sterling ; or they must have been seeded (be sr ye.ar, and have paid one yearitrent, net under L. 10k.
re exists no disqualification in this colony for any eke, or for the exercise• of any political lege, on account of religions tenets ; and great Fee.) deal benefit is found to result from this toleration, which has the effect of reconciling the dW. &rem sectaries to each other, and of abating time mutual rancour necessarily arising from a system of exclusion. The executive government consists of a Governor, who is generally a militaryollicer, and Coen. winder of the forces, a Lieutenant-Governor, and am Executive Council, amounting to seventeen, at pointed by the King, and exercising as inhume the affairs of the province, similar to that of the Privy Council in the affairs of England. The Greven NW has the power to prorogue and to dissolve the an. sembly. He is also invested with the prerogative of giving the royal assent or refuse/ to all acts which have been approved by the two houses of legisla ture.
The Mowing table of the roads and.distances in Canada may be found useful.
The expence of travelling post in Lower Canada is, ls. currency per league. The American packets on Lake Champlain, charge from three to four dol lars for the passage from St John's" to Skenesburgh, a distance of nearly 160 miles, and from Skenes burgh the traveller proceeds to New York, in a waggon or stage, at the rate of 3d. Sterling per mile.