Quebec Act, 1774

   Provided that the boundaries of the province of Quebec in the west should extend from Lake Erie to the Ohio, along the Ohio to the Mississippi, and north to the territories of the Hudson's Bay Company; guaranteed the French-Canadians in the free exercise of their religion; provided for the continuance of the criminal law of England, and for the appointment of a Legislative Council, with limited powers.

   Index: E Guarantees institutions of French Canada, 24. Dr Introduced in House of Lords, 63; its delimitation of Canada gives offence to older colonies, 63; concedes full religious liberty to Roman Catholics and establishes French civil law, 64; opposition to, 65; passed, 65; corporation of London petitions king to withhold assent, 69; saves Canada to British crown, 78; agitation against, 79-81; goes into force, 81, 89. L Beneficial operation of, 13. Sy Its effect in creating cleavage between French and English in Canada, 62; precipitated by American Revolution, 65; not carried out in its integrity, 66, 67; a mistake as preventing the unification of Canada, 91. BL Its provisions, 2-3; opposition to, 4; its results, 4. P Gives French-Canadians long-deferred justice, 7; establishes French civil law, 9; the magna charta of French-Canadians, 9, 16; its genesis and history, 11. Mc Commentary on, 47; cause of its repeal, 47. Hd Extends Quebec to Mississippi, 93; obnoxious to New Englanders, 101; not satisfactory to English inhabitants, 173, 175; in Haldimand's opinion, saved the country from going over to the enemy, 174; and estates of Ursuline nuns, 179; opposition to, 180; repeal wanted, 188, 264; Haldimand's opinion of, 195; his use of, 273.

   Bib.: Houston, Constitutional Documents of Canada; Bourinot, Constitutional History of Canada; Egerton and Grant, Canadian Constitutional Documents; Bradley, The Making of Canada; Lucas, History of Canada. See alsoDorchester.