I regret to find by your late letters to Sir George Prevost,
that your expectations from your legislature have not been
realised to the extent of your well grounded hopes. Sir
George, who is well versed in the fickle and untractable
disposition of public assemblies, feels more regret than
disappointment. He has a very delicate card to play with his
house of assembly here, who would fain keep up the farce of
being highly charmed and delighted with his amiable
disposition and affable manners: they have even gone the
length of asserting, that these traits in his character have
afforded them the most entire confidence that in his hands the
alien act would not be abused. They have, however, taken the
precaution of stripping it of its very essence and spirit,
while last year they passed it without a division, when Sir
James, (Craig,) on whose mild and affable disposition they did
not pretend to rely, told them that it could only alarm such
as were conscious of harbouring seditious designs. They have
passed an amendment to the militia bill, which, though not
affording all that was required, is still a material point
gained. 2,000 men are to be ballotted to serve for three
months in two successive summers; one of their strongest
objections was the apprehension of the Canadians contracting
military habits and enlisting into the service.[A]

Sir George has directed me to inform you, that he will be
ready to render you any assistance in his power to strengthen
the Upper Province; but that unless reinforcements arrive from
England, (in which case you may depend upon having a due
proportion put under your immediate command,) his means of
doing so are but very limited. His excellency is not sanguine
in his expectation of receiving reinforcements this summer; on
the contrary, the appearance of hostilities beginning to abate
at Washington, and the pledge held out in the prince regent's
speech of supporting with energy the contest in Spain and
Portugal, are likely to prevent troops being sent to this
quarter, unless a more urgent necessity of doing so should
appear. I will not comment on American politics, in which we
all appear to agree that the deep-rooted jealousy and hatred
of that people must in the end lead to hostilities, and that
it behoves us not to lose sight of an event