the commission of the
Sieur de la Roche, 1598, in which he is empowered to make grants in the
form of fiefs, seigniories, etc., to persons of merit. Up to 1627, when
the Company of New France (or the Company of One Hundred Associates) was
chartered, only three seigniories had been granted, two to colonial
laymen and the third to the Jesuit Order. Thereafter a large number of
seigniorial grants were made--no less than sixty between 1632 and 1663,
when the Company surrendered its rights to the crown. Details as to the
later history of Seigniorial Tenure in Canada, how it was applied to the
land, and why it outlived the same system in Old France, will be found
in the works cited below. The system was abolished in Canada in 1854.
=Index=: =F= In New France, 56. =L= Beginning of, 119. =Dr= Described,
11; an obstacle to the transfer of land, 256; notaries favourable to,
257. =E= Failure of La Fontaine-Baldwin ministry to settle question,
101-102; measure passed by Assembly, but defeated in Legislative
Council, 119-120; settlement postponed by Hincks-Morin government in
1853, 126; Cauchon offers amendment to address, expressing regret at
failure to settle question, 126-127; MacNab-Morin ministry pledged to
settlement, 140; measure passed in 1854, 142; history of question,
171-188; originates in old feudal system, 171-174; introduced into
Canada by Richelieu, 175; description of system, 175-184; movement for
its abolition, 185-186; judicial investigation by a commission, 186-187;
terms of settlement, 187-188. =S= Not satisfactory to English settlers,
1, 6. =BL= Commission appointed (1841) to consider question of
abolishing it, 99; pressing for settlement, 339; weakens Reform party in
Lower Canada, 349; history of, 349-351; court for adjustment of claims,
presided over by La Fontaine, 358. =C= John A. Macdonald votes against
settlement of, 32; Cartier works for, 32-115; the system described,
35-37. =Md= A problem in Quebec, 14; abolition of, demanded in Quebec,
62; dealt with by MacNab-Morin ministry, 63; its abolition effected,
66-68. =Bib.=: Munro, _Seigniorial System in Canada_ and _Documents
Relating to Seigniorial Tenure_; Munro, _Droit de Banalite_; _Pieces et
Documents Relatifs a la Tenure Seigneuriale_; _Lower Canada Reports_;
_Seigniorial Questions_; Dent, _Last Forty Years_. On the history of
individual seigniories, _see_ Lalande, _Une Vielle Seignieurie:
Boucherville_; _Mingan Seigniory: Documents in Appeal to Privy Co