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ed rightly. But there was to be a day of retribution. The late members of the late House of Assembly were not idle. Nor was the _Canadien_ silent. Every means that prudence could dictate, and malevolence suggest, were resorted to, with a view to the re-election of the dismissed representatives. The "friends" of the government suggested that there were plans of insurrection and rebellion. It was insinuated that the French Minister at Washington, had supplied the seditious in Canada with money. It was even broadly stated that the plenipotentiary's correspondence had been intercepted by the agents of the government. And that which was not said is more difficult of conjecture than that which was said. The revenue was this year L70,356, and the expenditure L49,347 sterling; 635 vessels, consisting of 138,057 tons, had arrived from sea; and 26 vessels had been built and cleared at the port. At this time there were five papers in Lower Canada. The _Quebec Gazette_, the _Quebec Mercury_, _Le Canadien_, the _Montreal Gazette_, and the _Courant_. The three former were published in Quebec, the other two in Montreal. The _Gazettes_ were organs of the government, the _Mercury_ and _Courant_ were "namby-pamby," and the _Canadien_ was as the voice of _le peuple_. The elections were, in the month of March, again about to take place, and the government conceived the magnificent idea of carrying a printing office by assault. When everything was prepared, then was the time to act. Headed by a magistrate, a party of soldiers rushed up the stairs leading to the _Canadien_ printing office. The proprietor received them with a low bow, and much annoyance was felt that no opposition was offered. The premises were searched. Some manuscripts were found, and, "under the sanction of the Executive," the whole press, and the whole papers of every description, were forcibly seized, and conveyed as booty to the vaults of the Court House. In this action one prisoner was made. The printer was seized, and "after examination," was committed to prison. And, as if an insurrection were expected, the guards at the gates were strengthened, and patrols sent in every direction. The public looked amazed, as well it might. The _Mercury_ did not know whether most to admire the tyrannical spirit or the consummate vanity of the Canadians, and of No. 15, of the _Canadien_, which contended that the Canadians had rights. As a striking proof of Canadian tyranny, th
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