Resolutions of the Deschambault Meeting: Difference between revisions

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The following was taken from the book ''Assemblées publiques, résolutions et déclarations de 1837-1838'', texts collected and presented by Jean-Paul Bertrand, Montréal, VLB Éditeur et l'Union des écrivains québécois, 1988, 304 p. ISBN 2-89005-313-X
Translated by Meir Avidor
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''RÉSOLU, 1: Que cette assemblée condamne et proteste solennellement contre les résolutions dernièrement introduites concernant les affaires de cette province par le ministre dans le parlement britannique, qui les a passées à une grande majorité, et qui par là a sanctionné un principe qui tôt ou tard servira de précédent, pour attaquer et détruire non seulement les droits et les libertés des autres colonies britanniques, mais même ceux du peuple anglais.''
RESOLVED, 1: That this meeting solemnly condemns and protests against the [[John Russell's Ten Resolutions|resolution]]s concerning the affairs of this province recently introduced in the [[Wikipedia:British parliament|British parliament]] by the [[Wikipedia:Secretary of State for War and the Colonies|minister]], which passed them by a great majority and thus sanctioned a principle that sooner or later will serve as a precedent to attack and destroy not only the rights and liberties of the other British colonies, but even those of the English people.


''RÉSOLU, 2: Que les résolutions soumises par lord John Russell dans la chambre des communes en Angleterre le 6 mars dernier, aux noms des ministres, aux fins de faire autoriser par le parlement impérial à saisir dans la caisse provinciale les deniers provenant des labeurs du peuple pour payer des serviteurs publics, dont le plus grand nombre a démérité du pays, et adoptées depuis par les communes et les lords, sont un attentat et une violation des droits et privilèges constitutionnels du peuple de cette province.''
RESOLVED, 2: That the resolutions submitted by Lord [[Wikipedia:John Russell, 1st Earl Russell|John Russel]] in the [[Wikipedia:British House of Commons|House of Commons]] in England last March 6 and later adopted by the Commons and the Lords in the name of the ministers, with the goal of having the Imperial Parliament authorize the seizing from the provincial treasury of the funds drawn from the labors of the people for the payment of public servants, most of whom have shown themselves unworthy of the country, are an attack on and a violation of the constitutional rights and privileges of the people of this province.


''RÉSOLU, 3: Que l'adoption de ces résolutions démontre un mépris absolu pour les justes demandes des habitants de cette province; qu'elle détruit notre confiance dans le parlement britannique; et qu'elle devrait porter la conviction chez le peuple Canadien, qu'à l'avenir il ne doit attendre du Royaume-Uni ni redressement de ses griefs, ni respect de ses droits politiques.''
RESOLVED, 3: That the adoption of the resolutions demonstrates absolute contempt for the just demands of the inhabitants of this province; that it destroys our confidence in the British Parliament; and that it will only convince the ''Canadien'' people that in future it should expect from the United Kingdom neither the redressing of its grievances nor respect for its political rights.


''RÉSOLU, 4: Que le peuple de ce pays serait marqué du sceau de la dégradation et serait esclave s'il se soumettait à être taxé, et son argent arraché par la violence de la caisse publique, pour être distribué à des serviteurs pervers, sans la sanction de ses représentants auxquels seulement appartient le droit d'en faire l'appropriation.''
RESOLVED, 4: That the people of this country would be marked with the seal of degradation and would be slaves if they were to submit to be taxed and its money wrested by violence from the public treasury so that it could be distributed to evil servants without the sanction of its representatives, to whom alone belongs the right to appropriation.


''RÉSOLU, 5: Que le parlement britannique en passant une de ces résolutions, pour s'emparer des revenus de cette province, s'est rendu coupable d'une violation outrageante de nos droits les mieux reconnus; qu'il est d'un devoir impérieux pour nous tous, de résister à cette violation par tous les moyens légaux qui sont en notre pouvoir, et que dorénavant nous devons avoir la fermeté d'âme de ne plus avoir de recours à un corps qui s'est déclaré si fortement hostile à nos libertés.''
RESOLVED, 5: That the British Parliament, in passing one of these resolutions to lay hand on the revenues of this province, has rendered itself guilty of an insulting violation of our rights; that it is an urgent duty for all of us to resist this violation by all the legal means in our power; and that henceforth we must have the firmness of spirit to no longer have recourse to a body which has so openly declared itself hostile to our freedoms.  


''RÉSOLU, 6: Que pour l'établissement solide et la préservation de ces libertés, il est de notre prudence de nous préparer aux difficultés que nous pourrons rencontrer par des habitudes de stricte économie dans nos dépenses personnelles, par nos efforts à promouvoir l'éducation, l'agriculture, l'industrie, les manufactures, le commerce dans cette province.''
RESOLVED, 6: That for the solid establishment and preservation of these freedoms, it would be prudent for us to prepare ourselves for the difficulties we may meet with by habits of strict economy in our personal expenses, by our efforts to promote education, agriculture, industry, manufacturing, and commerce in this province.


''RÉSOLU, 7: Que lorsque les revenus de cette province sont dilapidés pour satisfaire la cupidité de ceux qui sont toujours opposés aux désirs et aux besoins du peuple, il est de notre devoir comme de notre intérêt immédiat d'améliorer nos manufactures domestiques et de recommander à nos concitoyens d'en répandre généralement l'usage et de nous abstenir autant qu'il est en notre pouvoir du produit de celles qui paient des droits.''
RESOLVED, 7: That when the revenues of this province are squandered to satisfy the greed of those who are always opposed to the peoples wishes and needs, it is both our duty and in our immediate interest to improve our domestic manufacture and to recommend its propagation to our fellow citizens, and as much as is in our power to abstain from those that pay taxes.


''RÉSOLU, 8: Que nous approuvons la majorité de nos représentants qui ont inflexiblement insisté sur l'absolue nécessité qu'il y a pour le retour de la paix et du contentement en cette province, de supprimer le conseil législatif actuel pour le remplacer par un conseil électif; nous applaudissons aux mesures qu'ils ont prises pour obtenir le redressement des griefs qui affligent la province, telles que le refus de siéger avec ce corps qui presqu'invariablement n'accepte que les bills qui augmentent le pouvoir, le patronage, les émoluments de l'exécutif et de ses créatures, et rejette la plus grande partie de ceux qui leur sont envoyés pour procurer au pays une administration de justice la plus impartiale et moins coûteuse; pour faciliter la diffusion des lumières, et pour l'avantage de la société.''
RESOLVED, 8: That we approve the majority of our representatives who have unbendingly insisted, in order for peace and contentment to return to this province, on the absolute need to suppress the current [[legislative council]] and to replace it by an elective council; we applaud the measures they have taken to obtain the redressing of the grievances afflicting the country, such as the refusal to sit with this body which almost invariably only accepts those bills that increase the power, patronage, and emoluments of the executives and its henchmen, and rejects most of those that are sent to them to procure for the country the most impartial and least costly administration of justice.  


''Rendre générale l'éducation élémentaire; assurer l'administration des biens communs et des intérêts locaux du peuple dans les comtés, cités et paroisses, par le moyen d'officiers de son choix, et de corporations électives, et tous autres projets de loi qui avanceraient au moral et au physique le bien-être de la masse de la population sans distinction de classes ni d'origine, et que tant que le dit conseil législatif ne sera pas remodelé de manière à assurer la passation de ces mesures et l'obtention de ces avantages, nous recommandons à nos représentants de persévérer dans les mesures qu'ils ont adoptées dans la dernière session.''
In order to facilitate the diffusion of enlightenment and the advantage of society:


''RÉSOLU, 9: Que c'est un devoir bien agréable pour nous que de témoigner d'une manière publique, toute notre reconnaissance envers nos habiles défenseurs dans la chambre des communes, pour les généreux efforts qu'ils ont faits pour le maintien de nos droits et privilèges constitutionnels, ainsi que le peuple Anglais et les braves classes industrielles pour le vif intérêt qu'ils ont montré et la part active qu'elles ont prise dans leurs assemblées publiques, pour la juste défense de nos droits et libertés envahis par le pouvoir; et nous les prions bien de vouloir agréer les sentiments de notre reconnaissance la plus vive et nos sincères remerciements pour leur dévouement à la cause de leurs co-sujets Canadiens.''
Make elementary education general; assure the administration of the common goods and the local interests of the people in the counties, cities, and parishes by means of officers of their choice and elective corporations, as well as all other proposed laws that will advance morally and physically the welfare of the mass of the populace without distinction of class or origin; and that as long as said  legislative council is not remodeled in such a way as to ensure the passing of these measures and the obtaining of these advantages, we recommend to our representatives that they persevere in the measures they adopted at the last session.


''RÉSOLU, 10: Que le bill passé en Angleterre qui autorise une compagnie à acheter des terres en Canada, et l'octroi fait à cette compagnie de la meilleure partie des terres qui étaient encore accessibles au peuple, est une injustice faite aux Canadiens, et une usurpation de leurs droits les plus sacrés; ces mêmes terres que sa majesté leur a promises et ratifiées par la bouche de ses gouverneurs lorsqu'il s'est agi de repousser l'ennemi, en leur disant, "courage, mes enfants, ce sont vos terres que vous défendez; et que c'est avec la plus vive douleur que nous voyons par avance les enfants du Canada de toute origine, dans l'obligation de s'expatrier pour aller s'établir ailleurs après avoir défendu la colonie en braves et loyaux sujets.''
RESOLVED, 9: That it is a pleasant duty for us to publicly attest to our gratitude to our able defenders in the House of Commons for their generous efforts for the maintenance of our constitutional rights and privileges, as well as to the English people and the brave industrial classes for the lively interest they have demonstrated and the active part they have played in their public meetings for the just defense of our rights and liberties, encroached upon by those in power; and we ask them to accept our gratitude and sincere thanks for their devotion to the cause of their ''Canadien'' fellow-subjects.


Ls. GARIÉPY, Président
RESOLVED, 10: That the bill passed in England authorizing a company to purchase lands in Canada, and the grant made to this company of the better part of the lands that were still accessible to the people, is an injustice towards ''Canadiens'' and a usurpation of their most sacred rights; the very lands that His Majesty promised them and ratified on the word of his governors when it was a question of repelling the enemy, saying to them: “courage, my children, these are your lands that you are defending;” and that it is with the greatest pain that we foresee the children of Canada of all origins forced to emigrate after having defended the colony as brave and loyal subjects.


N. G. AUTHIER, Secrétaire
Ls. Gariépy, Chairman
N.G. Authier, Secretary


''La Minerve'', <br />
''La Minerve'', <br />

Revision as of 23:38, 3 July 2007

Translated by Meir Avidor

RESOLVED, 1: That this meeting solemnly condemns and protests against the resolutions concerning the affairs of this province recently introduced in the British parliament by the minister, which passed them by a great majority and thus sanctioned a principle that sooner or later will serve as a precedent to attack and destroy not only the rights and liberties of the other British colonies, but even those of the English people.

RESOLVED, 2: That the resolutions submitted by Lord John Russel in the House of Commons in England last March 6 and later adopted by the Commons and the Lords in the name of the ministers, with the goal of having the Imperial Parliament authorize the seizing from the provincial treasury of the funds drawn from the labors of the people for the payment of public servants, most of whom have shown themselves unworthy of the country, are an attack on and a violation of the constitutional rights and privileges of the people of this province.

RESOLVED, 3: That the adoption of the resolutions demonstrates absolute contempt for the just demands of the inhabitants of this province; that it destroys our confidence in the British Parliament; and that it will only convince the Canadien people that in future it should expect from the United Kingdom neither the redressing of its grievances nor respect for its political rights.

RESOLVED, 4: That the people of this country would be marked with the seal of degradation and would be slaves if they were to submit to be taxed and its money wrested by violence from the public treasury so that it could be distributed to evil servants without the sanction of its representatives, to whom alone belongs the right to appropriation.

RESOLVED, 5: That the British Parliament, in passing one of these resolutions to lay hand on the revenues of this province, has rendered itself guilty of an insulting violation of our rights; that it is an urgent duty for all of us to resist this violation by all the legal means in our power; and that henceforth we must have the firmness of spirit to no longer have recourse to a body which has so openly declared itself hostile to our freedoms.

RESOLVED, 6: That for the solid establishment and preservation of these freedoms, it would be prudent for us to prepare ourselves for the difficulties we may meet with by habits of strict economy in our personal expenses, by our efforts to promote education, agriculture, industry, manufacturing, and commerce in this province.

RESOLVED, 7: That when the revenues of this province are squandered to satisfy the greed of those who are always opposed to the peoples wishes and needs, it is both our duty and in our immediate interest to improve our domestic manufacture and to recommend its propagation to our fellow citizens, and as much as is in our power to abstain from those that pay taxes.

RESOLVED, 8: That we approve the majority of our representatives who have unbendingly insisted, in order for peace and contentment to return to this province, on the absolute need to suppress the current legislative council and to replace it by an elective council; we applaud the measures they have taken to obtain the redressing of the grievances afflicting the country, such as the refusal to sit with this body which almost invariably only accepts those bills that increase the power, patronage, and emoluments of the executives and its henchmen, and rejects most of those that are sent to them to procure for the country the most impartial and least costly administration of justice.

In order to facilitate the diffusion of enlightenment and the advantage of society:

Make elementary education general; assure the administration of the common goods and the local interests of the people in the counties, cities, and parishes by means of officers of their choice and elective corporations, as well as all other proposed laws that will advance morally and physically the welfare of the mass of the populace without distinction of class or origin; and that as long as said legislative council is not remodeled in such a way as to ensure the passing of these measures and the obtaining of these advantages, we recommend to our representatives that they persevere in the measures they adopted at the last session.

RESOLVED, 9: That it is a pleasant duty for us to publicly attest to our gratitude to our able defenders in the House of Commons for their generous efforts for the maintenance of our constitutional rights and privileges, as well as to the English people and the brave industrial classes for the lively interest they have demonstrated and the active part they have played in their public meetings for the just defense of our rights and liberties, encroached upon by those in power; and we ask them to accept our gratitude and sincere thanks for their devotion to the cause of their Canadien fellow-subjects.

RESOLVED, 10: That the bill passed in England authorizing a company to purchase lands in Canada, and the grant made to this company of the better part of the lands that were still accessible to the people, is an injustice towards Canadiens and a usurpation of their most sacred rights; the very lands that His Majesty promised them and ratified on the word of his governors when it was a question of repelling the enemy, saying to them: “courage, my children, these are your lands that you are defending;” and that it is with the greatest pain that we foresee the children of Canada of all origins forced to emigrate after having defended the colony as brave and loyal subjects.

Ls. Gariépy, Chairman N.G. Authier, Secretary

La Minerve,
July 24, 1837

See also

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