King one fifth of the selling price. The forests of Canada were not very
attractive to the nobles of France; hence, but few of them settled in
this country. Some of the prominent colonists, however, were granted
patents of nobility and became seigniors. Prevented by their rank from
cultivating the soil, they soon became bankrupt. Then they turned their
attention to the fur-trade, and later many of them became explorers and
the most gallant defenders of New France.

5. In the year 1760, Canada became a British possession, and English
settlers commenced to make homes for themselves in Upper Canada. Their
number was greatly increased by the United Empire Loyalists who came
over after the American Revolution. The English disliked the French
method of holding land. Under Seigniorial Tenure, the seller of land in
a seigniory was compelled to pay the seignior an amount equal to one
twelfth of the purchase money. As this was chargeable not only on the
value of the land, but also on the value of all buildings and
improvements, which, costing the seigniors nothing, were often more
valuable than the land itself, it was considered by the English settlers
an intolerable handicap. (Centuries before this the Feudal System had
been abolished in England.)

6. In 1791 the British Parliament passed the Constitutional Act which
gave the people of Upper Canada the privilege of holding lands in their
own name. In Lower Canada, too, those who wished were allowed to avail
themselves of the freehold system, but the French did not take advantage
of their opportunity. In the year 1854 Seigniorial Tenure was abolished,
the Government recompensing the seigniors for the surrender of their
ancient rights and privileges, and freehold tenure, as in Ontario, was
introduced.

7. Reasons why the Seigniorial Tenure failed:

(_a_) It was not adapted to conditions in Canada.

(_b_) It did not provide sufficient incentive to settlers to
improve their lands.

(_c_) It gave the habitant no chance to rise.

(_d_) It tended to divide the population into three classes.

(_e_) It failed to develop a civic spirit. This fact alone made
progress practically impossible. Each seignior was the master of
his own domain. Thus the people had no opportunity of working
together, and under such circumstances no great national spirit
could be developed.

8. Note the effect of the conquest of Canada and of the American