ver General
personally responsible for all monies levied on His Majesty's subjects,
paid over by him on any authority whatever, unless such payments should
be authorised by an express provision of law. If anything could arrest
the real prosperity of the province, it was now arrested. Some members
of the Legislative Council took alarm. Afraid that their resolutions of
the previous session interfered with the privileges of the Assembly,
they wished to rescind them. The Assembly, in the opinion of a section
even of the Council, ought not to be dictated to. The Commons had
exclusively the right of dictating their own terms and conditions, with
regard to all aids to the Crown. And the object, for which such aids
were sought, was of no consequence, as far as their right was
concerned. The majority of the Council took quite another view of the
matter. One member was particularly severe on the Assembly. The
Honorable John Richardson, considered the course pursued by the
Assembly, as unconstitutional and overbearing. He characterised their
pretensions as subversive of the prerogatives of the Crown, and
indicative of a desire to have the absolute control of the government.
Their proceedings were revolutionary. From day to day secret committees
were in session. Grievances were mischievously hunted up. Their
measures were precisely similar to those which preceded the fall of
Charles the First, and the French revolution. And, at that very moment,
there was a committee of the Assembly sitting, the members of which
were in consultation, about replacing the distinguished personage who
resided at the Castle of St. Lewis. Mr. Richardson was being quietly
listened to by several members of the Assembly. They resolved to move
in the matter. The sayings and doings of Mr. Richardson were
accordingly brought under the notice of the Assembly. Mr. Quirouet
informed the Lower House that he had heard the Honorable John
Richardson, one of the members of the Legislative Council say, in reply
to the Honorable Mr. Debartzch, who had moved for the rescission of the
rules relating to the civil list, that there was a secret committee
sitting in the House of Assembly, deliberating on the appointment of a
governor of their choice, and on the removal of the person now in the
castle; and that the committee, which was, perhaps, one of public
safety, sat without the knowledge of several members of the House, a
thing without example in England, except in the tim