Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/31

The Office of Intendant in New France 2 i ordered to be enregistered.' The commissions differed somewhat from one another, but in general they disclosed a broad line of uni- formity. The phraseology was strikingly similar to that adopted in the commissions of the provincial intendants in France during the same period, but there were some important differences in the nature and scope of the powers conferred." Invariably the commissions were couched in such general terms that, were one to judge solely by the wording, one would be quickly forced to the conclusion that the intendant was the real agent of administration in the colony, and might well question what scope could possibly be left for the numerous other officers. To Talon, for example, was given the somewhat comprehensive authority to order every- thing as might seem " just and proper " ? With the commission, however, usually went a letter of instructions from the minister, which, together with subsequent instructions that might be sent out from time to time, gave specific directions on various matters. Not infrequently these instructions limited the powers conferred in the intendant's commission of appointment; and occasionally they were quite inconsistent with the terms of the commission. They were not registered, but were kept privately by the intendant for his own guidance.^[1]

The intendants of New France were not appointed for any defi- nite term of years ; they held office during the royal pleasure. In practice the terms varied considerably. Talon held his post for five years only, Meulles for four, Bouteroue and Dupuy for but two years each ; on the other hand, Begon was intendant of New France for twelve years, Champigny for sixteen, and Hocquart for eighteen. There seems to have been no aim to make the term a fixed one; for elasticity and complete dependence upon the will of the king were in the colony, as at home, the essential features of the office. During a period of almost a century (1665-1760) eleven intendants assumed their duties in the colony ; hence the

The foregoing list is given in full because, so far as I am aware, no complete and accurate table of the intendants of New France, with the dates of their commissions and of their departures, has hitherto been printed.

• r1 The various commissions are printed in Edits el Ordonnances, III. 21-81.
• r2 Cf. the typical intendant's commission printed in Godard, Les Potivoirs des Intendants sous Louis XII'., 455-458.
• r3 "Et de tout ordonner ainsi que vous verrez etre juste et a propos." Édits et Ordonnances. III. 34.