Sovereign Council of New France

The Sovereign Council was a governing body in New France. It acted as both Supreme Court for the colony of New France, and as a policy making body, although, its policy role diminished over time. The council, though officially established in 1663 by King Louis XIV, was not created whole cloth, but rather evolved from earlier governing bodies. As early as 1647, a council of three was created by the King. In 1648, this council was widened to 5 members. The Sovereign Council became known as the Superior Council as early as 1703, when King Louis XIV issued a royal edict referring to it as the Superior Council instead of its former name, and increasing the number of sitting Councilors from seven to twelve.

The institution lasted from its introduction in 1663 to the fall of New France in 1760. Its last meeting occurred on April 28, 1760, the day of the Battle of Sainte-Foy.

As early as June 16, 1703, the King of France refers to the council as the Conseil Supérieur instead of the former Conseil Souverain.

In April 1663, King Louis XIV issued an edict creating a new governing council named the “Sovereign Council”. The new Sovereign Council had a broad policy mandate. The edict creating the Council authorized it to spend public funds, regulate the fur trade, regulate trade between colonists and French merchants, and issue police measures. The council was also to create a system of lower courts in Quebec, Montreal, and Three Rivers, and was to appoint judges, bailiffs and other court officials. The Sovereign Council also had a larger membership than previous colonial councils, having 9 members in 1663. These 9 members were the governor, the bishop (or, in his absence, the senior ecclesiastic), five councillors, an attorney general, and a clerk.

The creation of the Sovereign Council was part of a broader effort to reform the administration of New France by King Louis XIV and his finance minister, John Baptist Colbert. Colbert and Louis felt that New France’s administration had been badly mismanaged by charter companies, and that the colony should be brought under tighter monarchal control. There was also concern in the colony, over the growing power of the Governor, especially on the part of the Church. In 1663 the colony was made an official province of France. The crown’s contract with the Company of 100 associates, the main charter company in New France, was cancelled, and a new Charter company called the West Indies Company was created.

Around this time the office of “intendant” was also established. The intendant was to be in charge of police, justice and finance in the colony. Shortly after the post’s creation in 1665, the intendant began to sit on the sovereign council. Although, the intendant had no official place on the council until 1675, the intendant served on the sovereign council from 1665 on. Over time, the intendant became more powerful, and some of the formers responsibilities of the council were shifted to the intendant. In 1680 intendant was given the power to appoint lower court officials.

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