Brandy Parliament

Brandy Parliament

Brandy Parliament, an assembly of 20 notables of New France, who on 10 October 1678 were asked their opinion of the sale of brandy to the Indigenous peoples. The title was bestowed in 1921 by historian W.B. Munro. The Jesuits, as well as the colony's clergy, saw liquor as the chief obstacle to the success of missionary activity, whereas some colonial administrators were half-hearted when it came to banning the traffic.

Colbert, the minister of marine, rejected proposals that might lead to a decline in French exports of brandy and the customs revenue of the Canadian administration. He asked that a meeting of notables be convened, leaving little doubt about the verdict he desired. At the meeting, 15 of the 20 spokesmen favoured retention of the brandy trade. Although a royal edict of 24 May 1679 forbade the sale of liquor to Indigenous peoples outside the settlements, alcohol continued to flow westward.