Passage of the Quebec Act

Legislative Enactment. The Quebec Act 1774 was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that set procedures of governance in the Province of Quebec. It is formally cited as 14 Geo. 3. c. 83 and was customarily referred to as the Quebec Act 1774. The federal government continues to refer to it by this name in constitutional collections.

Territorial and Religious Provisions. A principal component of the act was the expansion of the province's territory to take over part of the Indian Reserve, including areas now in southern Ontario, Ohio, and other states. The act also addressed religious matters, as British ecclesiastical policy had previously prevented the appointment of new bishops for French Catholics following the death of Henri-Marie Dubreil de Pontbriand.

Administrative Context. The enactment resulted from efforts by colonial governors to secure the allegiance of the population. Governor James Murray and later Governor Guy Carleton promoted the need for accommodations, which eventually led to the passage of the act. These administrative measures were intended to stabilize governance in the colony.