Basically, they took the younger children of nobility, mainly seigneurs, gave them large tracts up and down the Lawrence, and expected the Company of New France to bring in settlers to populate the tradts. The thing was a majority were unmarried males and only people without a history of unorthodoxy were allowed, so the colonies wouldn't rebel.
In other words, it was a port of the semi-feudal system of France to Quebec but only the faithful etc where allowed. This doesn't make much for expansion or settlement building.
The other thing is that the government didn't really want mass migration. Even though France was the most populous kingdom in Europe, Colbert and others argued that it wasn't populated enough and couldn't afford to lose too many people to the Americas. They also felt that a large population in Canada would be counterproductive, as it would result in the fur supply being depleted and would alienate France's the American Indian allies.
The 1663-1672 period was pretty much the only time under Louis XIV when the French government actively recruited colonists, and even that was halfhearted. I'm not as sure about colonial recruitment under Louis XV, but I don't think it amounted to much.
Last edited: