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of a temporary "Act to prevent Monopoly and Forestalling," the time limit of which was twice extended. This act was directed against speculation in food. June twentyfourth, 1779,' an act was passed the purpose of which was to compel those who had more of the necessaries of life than they needed for their families to sell them to those that were in want of them, and to receive in payment therefor continental bills, if offered.

September twenty-third, 1779,' under title of an act to prevent sundry articles being exported from this to the neighboring states, a temporary interstate embargo was laid on provisions of all sorts and on many other specified articles. This was enlarged in its scope by another act passed in October of the same year.3

In December, 1779, it was voted to send some suitable person to negotiate a loan in Europe, and in January, 1780, Jonathan Loring Austin was appointed for that purpose. Austin sailed for Bilboa, Spain, in the latter part of the same month, was captured by the English, taken to London and shortly thereafter was released, there being no evidence at hand against him. He proceeded to the continent, but, although he remained abroad upward

2 Ibid.,

p. 1114.

Acts and Resolves Prov. Mass. Bay, Vol. V., p. 1073. Acts and Resolves Prov. Mass. Bay, Vol. V., p. 1116. This was the last stage of the struggle against the rise in prices caused by the depreciated currency. Α Convention was held in Concord, July 14th, 1779, which passed resolves for the purpose of appreciating the currency and lowering the prices of articles of consumption. They projected a scale for the limitation of prices, which was approved by the Assembly, but which could not then be put in force because the Assembly had in June resolved to lay an embargo on food, a method of procedure inconsistent with the co-operation with other States required to make the limitations effective. A Convention of Commissioners of the N. E. States and New York was called at Hartford, October 20th. This Convention favored the limitation, but believed that all States as far westward as Virginia ought to join. The repeal of the Embargo Act was recommended. Congress, in November, approved the doings of the Hartford Convention and recommended the several States to pass laws for a general limitation of prices. The Hartford Convention gave birth to a more general Convention held at Philadelphia, in January, which passed resolves. Complete co-operation was difficult to secure, but June 17th, 1780, these Embargo Acts were repealed by Massachusetts. Acts and Resolves Prov. Mass. Bay, Vol. V., p. 1253 et seq.

of a year, he was unable to accomplish the purpose for which he was appointed.

In order to establish a credit upon which Austin could operate, a future tax was granted January eleventh, 1780, to be paid in bills of continental currency, equal in value to one hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling. This was to be collected in such a way as seasonably to discharge the loan, but, as the loan was never obtained, the tax act merely stands as evidence of the attempt to secure the loan.1

THE COMMONWEALTH.

The borrowings from the people on short-term interestbearing notes of small size did not cease with the change from the general assembly to the constitutional commonwealth in 1780. The great crisis in financial affairs was passed when the continental currency was discredited by the congress itself, and the attempt was made to secure its redemption by the states, on the basis of forty for one, but there still remained in the final days of the struggle much that was of interest. However valuable an investigation of these events might prove to be, the limits of this paper preclude their consideration today.

1 Acts and Resolves, Prov. Mass. Bay, Vol. V., p. 1167.

A SCHEME FOR THE CONQUEST OF CANADA

IN 1746.

BY VICTOR HUGO PALTSITS.

IN the acquisition of the vast domain of Canada, by the treaty of 1763, Great Britain and her American colonists realized a hope long cherished. The proximity of the Canadians to the borders of New England and New York in particular, together with the French influence over the frontier Indians, had always been considered pernicious to the interests of these English colonies and threatened their ultimate destruction, unless "some method were found to remove so bad a neighbour." The reduction of this "thorn in the sides" of the neighboring English colonies had been attempted, therefore, in 1690, under Sir William Phips, and in 1711, under Sir Hovenden Walker. Phips's expedition was an expensive undertaking; cost the province of Massachusetts Bay alone above fifty thousand pounds; wrought death among many of her chosen young men, by a malignant fever that raged in the camp, and ended ingloriously. The Bay government did not for some years recover from the shock. Walker's expedition was entered into with cheerfulness by the colonists, but it, too, proved a fiasco. Apart from the cost of expeditions in time of war, the garrisoning of the frontiers involved a great annual outlay. Jeremy Dummer, in 1712, estimated the cost to Massachusetts for this maintenance as "Thirty Thousand Pounds communibus annis," which would be spared, he said, if Canada were wrested from the French.

1 Mass. Court Records, Series 17, Vol. V., p. 499. In Mass. State House, copied from Public Record Office, London. 2 Mass. Court Records, Idem, p. 501.

as well as the land of the Canadians." In official quartersand none the less among the populace-it was judged that the acquisition of Canada would secure the fish and fur trade, deprive the French of provisions and lumber for their sugar islands, greatly diminish the trade of France, secure the English possessions in America-hitherto greatly incommoded, and put a halt to the building of French war vessels, then carried on in Canada.1 Governor William Shirley, in his speech to the Council and House of Representatives of Massachusetts Bay, June 28th, 1746, told them it was but folly to consider Nova Scotia in security so long as the French continued to be masters of Canada. In the loss of that province he discerned the most fatal consequences to Massachusetts "and all His Majesty's Colonies on the Northern Continent of America." He but spoke the truth from a bitter experience.

Soon after the conquest of Louisburg, Shirley was called there to quell the discontent which had arisen among the provincials. His mission accomplished, he returned to Boston early in December, 1745. But while at Louisburg he had concerted measures with Pepperrell and Warren, for an expedition against Canada the following year. The project was communicated to the Duke of Bedford, then at the head of the admiralty, and was well received.

The fighting strength of all Canada, according to the best available information, was judged not to exceed 12,000 men, inclusive of the regulars; and the resident Indian allies were computed to be about 900. The winter of 1745-1746, intervened. On March 14th, 1746, the Duke of Newcastle wrote to the various American governors, that "should it be judged advisable to undertake any attempt upon the French settlements in the New World, they should take the proper measures for raising

1 Chalmers's Papers, Canada.

2 Journal of the Representatives of Mass. Bay, 1746, p. 71; also the same in Mass. Court Records, Series 17, Vol. V., p. 501.

3 Memoirs of Last War, p. 60.

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a body of men for that purpose.' This was but the suggestion of a fact soon to follow.

It is worth while to digress here, in order to observe the environment in England in which the plans for the expedition against Canada were matured. Thomas Pelham was nominally prime minister, but the parliamentary influence and superior rank of his brother, the Duke of Newcastle, placed him practically on an equality in the cabinet. The broil of English politics was hot in the cauldron. On February 11th, 1746, Pelham had resigned, but was reinstated on the 14th of that month, after Granville and Bath had failed to form an administration. This brought the two brothers, with their retinue of followers, back with increased power. "Pelham was a timid and peace-loving politician, without any commanding abilities or much strength of character." Lecky aptly remarks, that "the Pelham Government, though unsuccessful abroad, had acquired a complete ascendancy at home. The martial enthusiasm of the country had gone down, and public opinion being gratified by the successive deposition of Walpole and of Carteret, and being no longer stimulated by a powerful opposition, acquiesced languidly in the course of events. The King for a time chafed bitterly against the yoke. He had been thwarted in his favourite German policy, deprived of the minister who was beyond comparison the most pleasing to him, and compelled to accept others in whom he had no confidence. He despised and disliked Newcastle. He hated Chesterfield, whom he was compelled to admit to office, and he was especially indignant with Pitt, whose claims to office Pelham was continually urging. The perplexed monarch endeavored to extricate himself from his embarrassments, but was immediately frustrated. England had for years

1 Chalmers's Papers, Canada.

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2 G. F. Russell Barker, in Dict. of Nat. Biography. Pelham died at London, March 6th, 1754, and was succeeded by Newcastle.

Lecky's History of England in the Eighteenth Century, Vol. I., p. 423.

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