Scurvy. Ch Ravages of, among colonists, 22; called by Champlain mal de terre, 24; breaks out at Port Royal, 33; at Quebec, 46; deaths from, 209.
Sea-otter. D Trade, 21, 22; found by Russians, 40.
Seat of Government. Sy Question of, 280-282; Sydenham in favour of Kingston, 281. Md Montreal ceases to be, after riots, 38-39; rivalry of Kingston, Quebec, and Toronto for honour, 39; Quebec and Toronto divide honour for sixteen years, 39; Ottawa finally selected in 1865, 39; dissatisfaction over choice, 85. See also Ottawa; Quebec; Toronto; Montreal.
Seaton, Sir John Colborne, first Baron (1778-1863). Served in Holland, Egypt, and Italy. Commanded a brigade under Wellington, 1810-1814, and led the 52d Light Infantry in their victorious movement at Waterloo. Sent to Upper Canada as lieutenant-governor, 1829; appointed commander-in-chief of the forces, 1835; suppressed the Rebellion in Lower Canada, 1837-1838; acted as administrator, 1838, both before and after Durham; and the same year appointed governor-general. Returned to England, 1839, and created Baron Seaton same year. Promoted to field-marshal, 1860. Index: Mc Governor of Upper Canada, 157; Mackenzie's letters to, 164-167; suggests Mackenzie make reparation, 248; his view of Legislative Council, 268; his view of Executive Council, 279. P Sends Colonel Gore against rebels at St. Denis, 134; marches on St. Eustache, 135-137; succeeds Gosford as governor, 138; crushes outbreak of 1838, 139; his severity, known as the "Old Firebrand," 140-141. Sy A valuable adviser to Sydenham and Bagot, 111; increases number of Special Council of Lower Canada, 192. Conflict with the Assembly, 14-15; recommends Baldwin for seat in Legislative Council, 38; endows forty-four rectories, 42; crushes Rebellion in Lower Canada, 46, 48; succeeded by Sydenham, 59; appoints Special Council, 60. E Endows forty-four rectories in Upper Canada, on eve of his departure for England, 154; opinions for and against his action, 155-156. B Establishes fifty-seven rectories, 53. Md Creates and endows forty-four rectories in Upper Canada, 59. Bib.: Cyc. Am. Biog.; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Read, Lieutenant-Governors of Upper Canada; Christie, History of Lower Canada.
Secret Societies Bill. BL Prepared and introduced by Baldwin, its history, 185-188; its reservation by Metcalfe leads to resignation of Cabinet, 200, 208, 209, 251. R Reservation of, brings on a crisis in Upper Canada, 126-127.
Sedgewick, Major Robert. F Seizes Acadia by Cromwell's orders, 268.
Seely, Alexander McLaughlan (1812-1882). Born in St. John, New Brunswick. Engaged in lumbering, shipbuilding, and in banking. Appointed a member of the Legislative Council for New Brunswick, 1854, and held his seat until his death.
Seignelay, Marquis de. F Succeeds his father, Colbert, in ministry of marine, 72; marries Mlle. d'Allegre, 111. L Minister of marine and colonies, receives La Salle favourably, 151; postpones Laval's return to Canada, 211.
Seigniorial Tenure. The history of this feudal system of land tenure, transplanted from Old to New France, dates back to the commission of the Sieur de la Roche, 1598, in which he is empowered to make grants in the form of fiefs, seigniories, etc., to persons of merit. Up to 1627, when the Company of New France (or the Company of One Hundred Associates) was chartered, only three seigniories had been granted, two to colonial laymen and the third to the Jesuit Order. Thereafter a large number of seigniorial grants were made—no less than sixty between 1632 and 1663, when the Company surrendered its rights to the crown. Details as to the later history of Seigniorial Tenure in Canada, how it was applied to the land, and why it outlived the same system in Old France, will be found in the works cited below. The system was abolished in Canada in 1854. Index: F In New France, 56. L Beginning of, 119. Dr Described, 11; an obstacle to the transfer of land, 256; notaries favourable to, 257. E Failure of La Fontaine-Baldwin ministry to settle question, 101-102; measure passed by Assembly, but defeated in Legislative Council, 119-120; settlement postponed by Hincks-Morin government in 1853, 126; Cauchon offers amendment to address, expressing regret at failure to settle question, 126-127; MacNab-Morin ministry pledged to settlement, 140; measure passed in 1854, 142; history of question, 171-188; originates in old feudal system, 171-174; introduced into Canada by Richelieu, 175; description of system, 175-184; movement for its abolition, 185-186; judicial investigation by a commission, 186-187; terms of settlement, 187-188. S Not satisfactory to English settlers, 1, 6. BL Commission appointed (1841) to consider question of abolishing it, 99; pressing for settlement, 339; weakens Reform party in Lower Canada, 349; history of, 349-351; court for adjustment of claims, presided over by La Fontaine, 358. C John A. Macdonald votes against settlement of, 32; Cartier works for, 32-115; the system described, 35-37. Md A problem in Quebec, 14; abolition of, demanded in Quebec, 62; dealt with by MacNab-Morin ministry, 63; its abolition effected, 66-68. Bib.: Munro, Seigniorial System in Canada and Documents Relating to Seigniorial Tenure; Munro, Droit de Banalité; Pièces et Documents Relatifs à la Tenure Seigneuriale; Lower Canada Reports; Seigniorial Questions; Dent, Last Forty Years. On the history of individual seigniories, see Lalande, Une Vielle Seignieurie: Boucherville; Mingan Seigniory: Documents in Appeal to Privy Council; Roy, Seigneurie de Lauzon; Sellar, History of Huntingdon; Jodoin et Vincent, Histoire de Longueuil.
Seigniors, Canadian. Bk Remained faithful to British rule, 47. Dr Murray's relations with, 10; comparatively small emigration of, to France, 10; Carleton sends home a list of, 45, 47; pleads cause of, 46, 48; they ask for military service, 49; their satisfaction with the new régime, 162; their objection to sale of land in freehold, 239; their loss of influence, 255. WM Their relation to the censitaires, 23. Bib.: Bradley, The Making of Canada.