Page:Letter from L. J. Papineau and J. Neilson, Esqs., Addressed to His Majesty's Under Secretary of State on the Subject of the Proposed Union of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.djvu/15

 quality of British subjects, justice in this distribution could hardly be expected.

These, Sir, are general objections to the measure proposed. We shall now proceed to consider the enactments, which are intended to give effect to that measure, referring to the copy of the Bill which is annexed.

To the two first our general observations apply. We shall merely remark that the Bill by permitting the Provinces to remain separate as to government and limits, ans divided by Act 31 Geo. III., there can be no diminution of the necessary expenses of the Government; the real expenses would be increased by the additional cost of travelling and correspondence, and the expenses of transmitting laws, documents, evidence, etc. The duties of the local Executives and of the Departments in England corresponding with them, could not be diminished by a mere legislative union.

If local circumstances and institutions permitted a complete re-union of the Provinces, it could only be rendered useful by the seats in the Legislative Council and in the Assembly becoming vacant, and by appointing Legislative Councillors, who would generally attend in their places, who would not be composed almost exclusively of executive Officers, and particularly of the Judges, whose duties,