Ordinance by Michel Begon concerning the thefts that occurred during the
fire in Montréal in the month of June, 4 July 1721.
Michel Begon Knight seigneur of La Picardiere, Murbelin and other
Locations, King's Counsellor in His Majesty's Council and at the Parlement
de Metz, Intendant of Justice, Police and finances in Nouvelle france.
Having been informed that during the Fire that occurred in this city
on the nineteenth of June last, some individuals profited from the confusion
that reigned while people were removing furnishings and other Effects from
the burning houses to secretly take some and transport them or have them transported
to their own houses or other Locations, where they kept them hidden for their
own use, which is in itself public thievery and an assault, for which the
punishment must be exemplary; and seeing that the Effects salvaged in such
a deplorable incident remain under the Safeguard of the king; and seeing that
individuals are obliged to go to the Fires and provide succour, preserve salvaged
Effects
and return them to their owners; and it being necessary for those who have
thus taken Effects and not returned them to be severely punished, in order
to stop, by these examples, the course of this thievery that goes against
public faith.
We ordain all persons of whatever status or standing, who have taken
into their houses or to other Locations furnishings and other Effects salvaged
from houses consumed by fire in this city, whether they themselves removed
them, or had them removed or brought to them; to return them within eight
days following the publication of the present ordinance, to their owners or
to deliver them to the parish curates of the place of their residence under
threat of being tried as public thieves and enduring corporal punishment as
Stipulated for each case. We enjoin those who Provided transport for
the said Effects or have knowledge of their Location,
to declare as much to the king’s prosecutor of the Jurisdiction of this
city, also within eight days under threat of being tried and punished as accomplices
in the said incidents of theft.
We enjoin the parish Curates, to whom
will be remanded the Effects salvaged from the said fire, to return them momentarily
to their owners if they know of them and if the owners are not known to them,
to remand them into the hands of the Superior of the Seminary of this city,
who will return them to their owners if he knows them, and if not they will
be placed under Guard at the King's stores, for which a receipt will be issued;
and following the time limit of eight days and the said time having passed,
we permit the king’s prosecutor of the said Jurisdiction to bring charges
at his request before the lieutenant general of the said Jurisdiction against
those who will not have returned the said Effects salvaged
from the said Fire, and to have them appear for and undergo a trial as
stated in the present ordinance and Be sentenced under the charges stated
before Us.
We enjoin the said lieutenant general following the said
expired period of time, to make his way together with the said king’s prosecutor
and accompanied at his request by his clerk, to the houses or Locations where
the said king’s prosecutor will have been advised that some of the said Effects
are held and hidden, and in the event that there are some, to remove them
following a report made of them, and to have arrested in the Moment and declared
prisoners those found to possess the said Effects, to have their trial set
and concluded by the said lieutenant general according to the present ordinance
and based on evidence of the charges and the Information provided.
We enjoin
as well the Capitaines des Costes of the government of Montreal, following
the said time limit of eight days, to inform the king’s prosecutor of the
Jurisdiction of the said city
of what will have been brought to their Attention regarding the removal
of the said Effects, which may have been brought to and hidden in Locations
under their Command.
We request of the said officers of the Jurisdiction
of this city to take charge of Executing the present ordinance, which will
be registered in their registry, Read, published and posted wherever necessary,
in order that it be executed in form and to the letter.
We also request
that the Captains or other militia officers of the said Government, each for
their Part, read and post the present ordinance at the doors of churches where
high mass is held and forward their certificate to the said king’s prosecutor.
Dated and presented at Montreal on The four of July 1721. [signed]Begon
[signed]Boucault
