late and publish and required to fix and regulate the affize of bread, the first Monday in every month, having always regard to the price of wheat and flour, and to publifh fuch regulations as they fhall make, relative thereto, in the Quebec Gazette.

the aflize once a month.

GUY CARLETON,

Ordained and enacted by the authority aforefaid, and paffed in Council under the Great Seal of the province, at the Council-chamber in the caftle of St. Lewis, in the city of Quebec, the twenty-ninth day of March, in the feventeenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Third, by the grace of GoD of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, King, defender of the faith, and fo forth, and in the year of our LORE one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-feven.

By his Excellency's Command,

J. WILLIAMS, C. L. C.

Preamble.

The King's high

roads to be 30

feet wide, and fenced from the fields with posts and rails.

Grand Voyer

may permit picket fences.

Narrow roads to

be widened, if the

Grand Voyer di

rects it.

Owners and oc

to keep the high

For repairing and amending the public highways and bridges in the province of Quebec.

WHEREAS the King's high-roads, and the bye-roads, as well as the bridges in

this province, are at prefent very much out of repair, it is ordained and enacted by his excellency the captain general and governor in chief of this province, by and with the advice and confent of the Legislative Council of the fame, that the King's high-roads fhall be thirty feet wide, with a ditch of three feet wide on each fide, and of fufficient depth to drain off the water; and shall be separated from the fields by fufficient fences, made of pofts and rails, or pickets and rails, in order that fuch fences may be taken down every year, before Winter, in fuch places as the furveyor of the roads, commonly filed the Grand Voyer, fhall direct, to prevent the fnow from being collected in heaps on the road: ftanding picket fences, fhall nevertheles be permitted to remain, in places where the faid Grand Voyer fhall be of opinion that the fame can be of no prejudice to the road adjoining thereto; and where the said highroads are not already of the breadth of thirty feet, the Grand Voyer, if he fhall think it necessary or practicable, fhall cause them to be widened to that extent, by the perfons bound to repair the fame.

II. Every owner or occupier of any land adjoining to any high-road, fhall keep cupiers of lands, in conftant good repair fo much thereof as runs in the front of the land of which he reads in repair is the occupier or owner, and alfo keep up and repair bridges over ditches or ftreams of water, not more than four feet wide, and fhall clean and keep clear the ditches at the fides of fuch great road, and keep up fuch fences as are directed by the first arti cle of this ordinance, under a penalty of Ten fhillings for every neglect.

before their own lands.

Penalty for eve

ry neglect.

All owners or o cupiers of land,

All owners or occupiers of lands fhall be bound to perform this duty, whether wi.hout excepti fuch lands be held in a joint or feparate capacity, or for the ufe, or in the right of on, bound to per- others.

form this duty.

How the road.

When fuch high-road fhall happen to run lengthways along the lines dividing two ed when it runs conceffions, it fhall be kept in repair by the joint labour of fuch perfons as the

Grand

neuvième jour du mois de Mars, dans la dix-feptième année du Règne de notre Souverain
Seigneur GEORGE Trois, par la Grace de DIEU, Roi de la Grande Bretagne, de
France, et d'Irlande, Défenfeur de la foi, &c. &c, &c. dans l'année de notre Seigneur
mil fept cens foixante et dix-fept.

Pour réparer, réformer et entretenir les Grands Chemins publics et les Ponts
dans la Province de QUEBEC.

LES Chemins roiaux ainfi que les routes et les ponts étant en très mauvais état dans
cette Province: Il eft Statué et Ordonné par Son Excellence le Capitaine-géné-
ral et Gouverneur en Chef de cette Province, de l'avis et confentement du Confeil Lé-
giflatif d'icelle ce qui fuit; que les Chemins roiaux auront trente pieds de largeur entre
deux foffés de trois pieds de largeur fur la profondeur néceffaire à l'égoûtement des
eaux. Ils feront clos de chaque côté avec de bonnes clotures en poteaux et en perches,
de façon que les clotures puiffent être ôtées chaque année avant l'Iliver dans les en-
droits que
le Grand Voier ordonnera, afin d'empêcher les néges de fe ramaffer dans les
chemins. Il fera cependant permis d'avoir des clotures ftables en piquets dans les en-
droits où le Grand Voier penfera qu'elles ne pourront être préjudiciables aux chemins
qui y joindront. Et où les dits chemins roiaux ne feront point déja de la largeur de
trente pieds, le Grand Voier, s'il le juge néceffaire ou praticable, les fera élargir par
ceux obligés de les entretenir.

II. Tous propriétaires ou fermiers de terres joignantes à tous chemins roiaux les entretiendront en bon état fur la devanture des terres dont ils font propriétaires ou fermiers, entretiendront et répareront auffi les ponts fur les foffés ou ruilleaux qui n'auront pas plus que quatre pieds de largeur, netteiront et recalleront les foffés des deux côtés des dits Chemins roiaux, et entretiendront les clotures telles qu'elles font ordonnées par le premier article de cette Ordonnance, fous peine d'une amende de Dix fhellings pour chaque négligence.

les

Tous propriétaires ou fermiers de terres feront tenus à faire leurs travaux, foit que terres foient tenues conjointement ou féparément ou pour l'ufage, ou aux droits d'autres particuliers.

Tous proprié

taires et fermiers

de terres feront

tenus à faire leurs travaux.

Comme les

Mais lorfque de tels chemins pafferont entre la ligne de deux habitans, ils feront entretenus en corvées par ceux à qui le Grand Voier ordonnera de le faire, fuivant fa ré- grands chemins partition, fous peine de la même amende de Dix fhellings pour chaque négligence.

Ils feront clos des deux côtés.

III. Les routes feront toujours faites dans la ligne de féparation de deux conceffions,
de vingt pieds de largeur avec un follé de trois pieds de largeur de chaque côté, fur la
profondeur néceffaire à l'égoutement des eaux.
fofiés et une cloture feront faits et entretenus en bon état, en corvées, par les habi-
tans de la conceffion qui auront demandé les dites routes, fuivant la répartition et les

parts

feront réparés lorfqu'ils pafferont entre deux concellions.

Les routes feront

faites dans la ligne

de feparation de deux concellions,

de vingt pieds de

largeur.

lenghtways be Grand Voyer fhall appoint for that purpofe, under the like penalty of Ten fhillings for every neglect.

tween two con.

ceffions.
Bye roads to run

on the line of di

vilion between 2

conceflions,

to be go feet wide, Both ditches and

joint labour of the

III. Bye-roads fhall always be run on the line of divifion between two conceffions, of and twenty feet wide, with a ditch of three feet wide on each fide, and of fufficient depth to drain off the water; it fhall be fenced on both fides; the ditches and one of the one of the fences fences fhall be made and kept in conftant good repair, by the joint labour of the into be made by the habitants of the concellions who fhall have demanded the fame, according to the alinhabitants of the lotment or apportionment which the Grand Voyer fhall make in writing, of every man's fhare or proportion of the work, under the penalty of Ten fhillings on every perfon neglecting to make and keep in repair, the portion fo allotted to him by the Grand Veyer: the other fence fhall be made and kept in conftant good repair, by the proprietors of the land through which the road paffes.

conceflions who demand it. Pena'ts for eve ry neglect,

The other fence to be made by the

proprietors of the jand through which it pailes.

How new high

roads are

opened.

IV. When a new king's high road is to be opened, the owners and occupiers of lands, to be through which it is meant to run; or in cafe fuch highway runs lengthways between two conceffions, the perfons to whom the Grand Voyer fhall allot fuch labour; fhall open and clear fo much of it as adjoins to fuch land, or as fhall fall to their fhare, and fhall make it in all refpects conformable to the directions contained in the firft article of this ordinance.

Trees and under

wood to be re

moved,

Penalty for ne

lett.

High-roads thro'

ungianted lands repaired by the

to be opened and

parish,

But if too bur

thenome for one parish, the Giard

Voyer to lay the

cafe before the go

vernor and council,

Rules to be obferved by the Grand Voyer,

when a new road an old one turned.

is to be opened or

Roads to mills

to be made ac

And when any fuch road fhall be carried through a wood, the trees and underwood on each fide of it, for the fpace of half an arpent in breadth, fhall be cut down immediately, and the wood and brush removed within two years, by the perfon whofe duty it is to make or repair fuch road, under a penalty of Ten fhillings for every'neglect.

V. The King's high roads running through ungranted lands, fhall be opened and repaired by the joint labour of the people of the parish in which fuch lands lie, according to the allotment or apportionment of fuch labour, made by the Grand Voyer: but if it fhall be neceffary to run a new road through a track of ungranted lands of confiderable extent, which might be too burthenfome for any one parifh, the Grand Voyer fhall lay the affair, clearly ftated, before the governor and council, with his opinion on the matter, that they may order to be done what to them fhall feem fitting: and the perfons, whom they fhall order to do fuch work, fhail perform the fame under the penalty herein after to be mentioned.

VI. In all cafes where it fhall be neceffary to turn an old or open a new road, the Grand Voyer on application made to him, will view the fame, and if he finds it neceffary to have the old road turned, or a new one opened, he fhall lay out the fame, and he will confult with the officers of militia, and fome of the principal inhabitants; and from their report and advice, he will determine what portion of the work, necellary to be done, fhall be given to each perfon concerned, and give his order or proces verbal in writing, to be read at the church door of the parish, the next enfuing funday after divine fervice: a copy of which fhall be prefented to the governer and council to be ratified, if they fhould think it proper, and kept amongst the records of the council, and another copy of it, when ratified, fhall be delivered the captain of militia, to be retained by him and his fucceffors for the ufe of the inhabitants of the parifh.

VII. The roads leading to mills in the different feigniorics in this province, fhall cording to the an be made and repaired according to the antient ufage and cuftom of the country.

fient ufage.

Roads near prepices,

VIII. Roads made near precipices, fhall be fenced and well guarded on the fide of a

precipice,

parts que le Grand Voier en fera par écrit à chacun des dits habitans, proportionelle ment à leurs poffeffions, fous peine d'une amende de Dix fhellings contre ceux qui négligeront de faire, réparer et entretenir les parts qui leur auront été affignées par le Grand Voier. L'autre cloture fera faite et entretenue par les propriétaires des terres où les dites routes pafferont.

IV. Lorsqu'un nouveau Chemin roial fera ouvert, les propriétaires ou les fermiers. des terres fur lefquelles il paffera, l'ouvriront et le feront fur leurs devantures, et lorfque tel chemin paffera entre la ligne de deux habitans, il fera fait et ouvert en corvées fuivant la répartition qu'en fera le Grand Voier, en fe conformant à tous égards aux réglemens contenus dans le premier article de cette Ordonnance; et dans tout chemin qui paflera dans les bois, les arbres et les taillis en feront immédiatement coupés de chaque côté du dit chemin d'un de ni arpent de largeur et les bois et brouffailles enlevés dans l'efpace de deux années par ceux obligés de faire et entretenir tel chemin, fous peine de Dix fhellings d'amende pour chaque négligence.

V. Les chemins roiaux paffans fur des terres non-concédées feront ouverts, réparés et entretenus par corvées des habitans de la paroiffe dans laquelle tels chemins fe trouveront, fuivant les parts et la diftribution qu'en fera le Grand Voier; mais s'il eft néceffaire de faire un chemin nouveau fur une partie de terres non-concédées d'une étendue confidérable, qui chargerait trop une feule paroiffe, le Grand Voier raportera l'affaire clairement établie devant le Gouverneur et Confeil avec fon opinion, qui ordonnera de le faire faire par ceux qu'il jugera à propos. Et ceux à qui il fera ordonné de faire tels travaux, les feront fous peine de l'amende ci-après mentionnée.

VI. Dans tous les cas où il fera néceffaire de changer un ancien chemin, ou d'en ouvrir un nouveau, le Grand Voier fur la demande qui lui en fera faite, le vifitera et s'il trouve néceffaire de changer un ancien chemin, ou d'en ouvrir un nouveau, il y procdera et il confultera les officiers des milices et quelqu'uns des notables habitans de la paroiffe, et fur leur avis il déterminera les travaux à y faire, qu'il diftribuera à chaque habitant qui y fera intereffé, et donnera fes ordres ou procès verbaux par écrit, qui leront lus à la porte de l'églife de la paroiffe le plus proche Dimanche après le fervice divin. Il préfentera copic de tels ordres ou procès verbaux au Gouverneur et Confeil pour y être homologués, s'il le juge à propos, et qui feront dépofés dans le greffe du dit Confeil. Il en remettra enfuite des copies ainfi homologuées aux Capitaines des milices qu'ils garderont, et leurs fucceffeurs, pour l'ufage des habitans de la paroiffe.

VII. Les chemins pour aller aux moulins dans les diférentes feigneuries de cette Province feront faits, réparés et entretenus fuivant les anciens ufages et coutumes du paîs.

VIII. Les chemins paffans près des précipices feront clos. Il y fera placé du côté du précipice un garde corps folide de quatre pieds de hauteur; et ceux qui pafferont fur des côtes efcarpées on en adoucira les pentes; ils feront faits de vingt pieds de largeur, et il y fera également placé un garde corps folide, fuivant les ordres du Grand Voier, par corvées des habitans de la paroille où tels chemins fe trouveront. IX. Toutes pierres, chicots ou racines d'arbres, tous bois, piquets, fumier ou autre embarras quelconques ne feront point laifiés dans les grands chemins, fous peine de Cinq fhellings d'amende contre ceux qui les laifferont; et il fera une partie effentielle des travaux des grands chemins d'en ôter toutes fortes d'embarras qui pourraient y être laillés. Et il ne fera permis à qui que ce foit de laiffer vaguer des chevaux et des cochons dans les grands chemins, fous peine de Cinq fhellings d'amende pour chaque con

travention,

X.

1

along the face of
fteep hills.

Roads running precipice, by a ftrong, well fixed rail of four feet high; and roads running along the face of fteep hills, fhall be made with an eafy defcent, twenty feet wide, and well guarded likewife with a strong rail, according to the directions of the Grand Voyer, by the joint labour of the people of the parish in which fuch roads may lie.

No incumbran

the highway,

Penalty 5.

IX. No stones, stumps, or roots of trees, timber, pickets, dung, or any other in. ces to be left in cumbrance whatfoever, fhall be left lying on the highway, under a penalty of Five fhillings on any perfon leaving them; and it fhall be a neceffary part of the duty of repairing the highways, to remove all kind of obstructions that may be left thereon: hogs to be left in and no perfon fhall allow any horfes or hogs to run about on the highways, under a penalty of Five fillings for every offence.

No horfes or

the highway,

Penalty 55.
The highways in
winter to be

branches,

X. To mark out the path in winter, the perfons bound by this ordinance to repair the marked out by highways, fhall, in the Fall, before the ground istrozen, fix poles or branches along the fides of fuch part of the road as they are bound to repair; thefe poles shall be eight feet long, and faftened with wyths to a flake driven in the ground, and at the diftance of twenty four feet from each other, and when blown down, or pulled up, they fhall be replaced by the person whofe duty it was to fix them there.

And beat and kept open.

Manner of build. ing bridges,

How, and by

in repair.

After every fall of fnow, or after drift, which fhall fill up the beaten track, every perfon fhall beat and open that portion of the highway which he is bound by this or-dinance to repair, of width fufficient for two carriages conveniently to pass by one another; and fhall keep the fame conftantly level, open, and eafily paffable: every perfon neglecting any of the directions contained in this article, fhall forfeit Five fhillings for every fuch neglect.

OF BRIDGES.

XI. Ditches which divide two grants or conceffions, and run across the road, fhall be covered with bridges by the owners or occupiers of the lands, through which fuch ditches are cut, to the breadth of eighteen feet. The fleepers of all bridges fhall be of cedar, the logs covering the fleepers fhall be of afh or red fpruce, well fquared and pinned to the fleepers, and there fhall be a rail, of three feet high, on each fide of the bridge, and fuch rail fhall reach from the corner of the bridge to the ditch, on each

fide of the road.

All bridges already built, or to be built, over rivulets or runs of water, fhall be whom to be kept kept in conftant repair, by the inhabitants who, from their proximity to fuch bridge or bridges, have by the antient custom of the country, beeu obliged to perform that fervice; and in cafe of any difpute among the inhabitants concerning fuch fervice the Grand Voyer, after having thoroughly informed himfelf concerning the matter, will determine who fhall work at the bridge, and who fhall furnish and bring timber and other materials for building or repairing the fame.

All bridges fubject to be overflowed, hali be loaded with large ftones, carried to the fpot by fuch perfons as are bound to build or repair the bridge; under a penalty of Five fhillings, on every perfon neglecting to carry and place the ftones as herein.

directed.

Every bridge hereafter to be made, fhall be built and conftructed according to the directions ven by th Grand Voyer, who that in all cafes of importance, refer to the governor and council for inftruchions relative to Lis duty.

When fhall be deemed a work o barthe da

to repair briges beitt e

the people of any one parish, and rep red y the