AN APPEAL TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR JUSTICE: A PRINTED CIRCULAR FROM PIERRE DU CALVET TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING HIS ILLEGAL IMPRISONMENT IN QUEBEC BETWEEN 1780 AND 1783 AT THE DIRECTION OF GOVERNOR FREDERICK HALDIMAND.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION. DU CALVET, Pierre (Quebec's First Civil Libertarian and Sympathizer to the American Freedom Movement).

Published by London, 1784

About this Item

Printed Circular from Pierre Du Calvet to Members of the British House of Lords and House of Commons regarding His Illegal Imprisonment in Quebec at the direction of Governor Frederick Haldimand. London: 19 July 1784. Printed document. In French. 1 printed page, on the front of a quarto sheet folded in half to 9 inches by 7.25 inches. Watermarked paper. A few old folds. Accompanied by an approximate English translation. Pierre Du Calvet (1735-1786) arrived in New France in 1758, and established himself as a successful import-export merchant in Montreal. He soon acquired significant property holdings and became involved in public administration as a Justice of the Peace. He believed strongly in liberalism and constitutional reform, and promoted the implementation of representative government in Quebec. His decidedly sympathetic attitude towards the American rebellion and the rebel invasion of Quebec in 1775 landed him in trouble with officials, but was officially acquitted of any wrongdoing. At the height of the American Revolution in 1780, Governor Frederick Haldimand ordered his incarceration on suspicion of treason. When Du Calvet was finally released from prison at the end of the war on 2 May 1783, he vowed to bring Haldimand to justice for jailing him without charge and for ignoring due process of law. Following some travel delays, Du Calvet found himself in London planning his approach to solicit support for his cause from King George III and the British government. After some nine months of making enquiries in London, Du Calvet progressed to a more vigorous pursuit of justice with this CIRCULAR, which he distributed to members of the House of Lords and House of Commons in the British parliament in July, 1784. In the CIRCULAR, composed and printed in French, Du Calvet described the violation of his personal liberty in Quebec through the cruel despotism of Governor Haldimand, his illegal confinement for 948 days in miserable conditions, and the lack of recourse to the local judicature regarding his case. Du Calvet implored that Haldimand be recalled to Quebec by royal order to face an inquiry and trial in accordance with British law. The CIRCULAR apparently did little to help advance Du Calvet's plea for justice, and he proceeded to an intensive writing campaign to broaden his scope of appeal. During the summer of 1784 he published two substantial works in London (The Case of Pierre Du Calvet and Appel a la Justice de l'Etat) to elaborate on his complaints against Haldimand and detail his criticisms of the judicial and political system in Quebec. Despite Du Calvet's efforts, Haldimand was not recalled to Quebec to face charges nor was he officially disciplined in any way. As might have been expected, Haldimand was quite well liked and protected by the establishment in Britain, so much so that on 1 October 1785 King George III installed Haldimand as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. Tragically, Du Calvet was lost at sea in February 1786 when the ship he was on (bound for London) encountered a violent storm and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. Seller Inventory # 215

Bibliographic Details

Title: AN APPEAL TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT FOR ...

Publisher: London

Publication Date: 1784

Binding: No Binding

Condition: Near Fine