The Catholic religion
unites France, but divides England. Without going further into the
subject, it suffices me to say, that the religion of England seems to be
preferable to the religion of France, if your object is to make this
an English colony. When one sees that the Roman Catholic religion
is established by law, and that the same law does not establish the
Protestant religion, the people are, of course, at liberty to choose
which they like. Are we, then, to establish the Roman Catholic religion,
and tolerate the Protestant religion?" Mr. Dunning next insisted,
that the civil law, as well as the criminal law of England, should be
preserved, and that the institution of juries, however unpalatable
it might prove to the Canadians, ought not to be dispensed with. He
concluded by showing the unfitness of this political state to the habits
and character of English settlers, and that there was an insurmountable
difficulty in reconciling the feelings and habits of the small minority
with the great French majority. The bill was next defended warmly in all
its points by Attorney-general Thurlow. The definitive treaty of peace,
he said, was made in favour of property in Canada; in favour of the
Catholic religion, and in favour of the several religious orders, under
which obligations it was that the crown of this country was called
upon to frame a constitution for the colony. As for the importing and
enforcing English laws in a country already settled, and habitually
governed by other laws, he considered that it would be an act of the
most absurd and cruel tyranny ever practised by a conquering nation over
a conquered country--an act which would be unprecedented in the world's
history.
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