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CHAPTER XV.

CANADA. Principles cf Lord Sydenham's Administration-Different political Parties in Canada-Sir Charles Bagot appointed as Successor to Lord Sydenham-Opening of the second Session of the United Parliament by the Governor-Attempt to conciliate the Lower Canada French by the offer of office to Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Lafontaine They accept office, and have to undergo an ElectionAddress of Mr. Lafontaine-Dangerous illness of Sir Charles Bagot-Prorogation of Parliament-Sir Charles Bagot leaves Canada and dies soon after his return to England—Question of Canadian Corn Duties-Letter of Lord Stanley to the Governor on the subject-Bill passed in the Colonial Legislature. THE MARQUESAS AND SOCIETY ISLANDS, IN THE PACIFIC.-Short Narrative of the intercourse between these Islands and Great Britain-Correspondence between Queen Pomare and Mr. Canning and Lord Palmerston-A French Frigate appears off Tahiti-Demand made by him of redress-Letter of Queen Pomare to Queen Victoria, and Answer of Lord Palmerston-The Tahitian Government is taken under French protection by Admiral Dupetit Thouars-PROJET DE LOI relative to the Marquesas proposed by the Minister of Marine to the French Chamber.

ELANCHOLY as the death of Lord Sydenham was at the very moment when he had triumphed over the obstacles that had stood in the way of a Legislative Union between Upper and Lower Canada, and might reasonably look forward to seeing beneficial results flow from this important measure, it cannot be said that the policy of the Imperial Government with respect to our North American Colonies was thereby embarrassed, for Lord Sydenham had determined to retire from his high office as soon as ever he saw the Union fairly accomplished,

and was making preparations for an early departure, when he met with the accident, which owing to a constitution already enfeebled by ill health, occasioned his death.

During his short administration of the affairs of Canada, we believe that his Lordship is entitled to the praise of having governed in an impartial spirit with a firm and vigorous hand. And this is no ordinary praise when justly merited by a Governor of Canada where hitherto it has been the custom for that functionary to throw himself almost exclusively into the arms of one or other of

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the contending parties, and where faction is embittered by difference of origin, language, and religion. Formerly the Tory party of Upper Canada, although inferior in numbers, was that which usually stood highest in the favour of successive Governors and the leaders of this party, who shared amongst themselves the different offices and patronage of Government, known by the name of "the Family Compact." Lord Sydenham, however, refused to recognise this minority as entitled to a monopoly of office, and his great object was to break down as much as possible old party distinctions, and form an administration composed of moderate and able men taken from the ranks of different parties. The four great divisions representing different political opinions in the United Province of Canada, after the Union had taken place may be classified as follows: 1st. The Upper Canada Tories, who had previously been the dominant party, and who were generally called the Family Compact." 2nd. The Upper Canada Reformers, who were excluded from all participation in office by the "Compact." 3rd. The Lower Canada French, who had been the chief agents in the recent rebellion, and whose disaffection to British supremacy was hardly disguised under the veil of alleged grievances with which they sought to cover their seditious projects. These were strongly opposed to the measure of Legislative Union. 4th. The Lower Canada British, whose power and influence were greatly increased by the Union.

The Upper Canada Tories were alienated from Lord Sydenham on account of his determination not to govern exclusively by means of

them, and they, in conjunction with the Lower Canada French, formed the opposition in the first Session of the United Parliament, but they were outnumbered by the combination of the two other parties, who were thus enabled to give effectual support to the Government of Lord Sydenham. Mr. Baldwin had been recognised as the leader of the Upper Canada Reformers; but shortly after the appointment of Lord Sydenham he left that party and went into opposition with the Lower Canada French, whose most influential member was a Mr. Lafontaine, upon whom the office of SolicitorGeneral for Lower Canada had been bestowed by Lord Sydenham.

The person selected by Sir Robert Peel's Ministry to succeed Lord Sydenham as Governor of Canada was Sir Charles Bagot, who found on his arrival that he had an arduous and complicated task before him-the chief difficulty lying in the reconcilement of the jarring pretensions of the contending factions.

The new Governor opened the second Session of the Parliament of United Canada on the 8th of September. His speech did not afford any elucidation of the state of affairs and parties in Canada. Nor is it necessary that we should inflict upon our readers minute details of the contest between the rival sections in the House of Assembly. It will be sufficient to state that Sir Charles Bagot made an attempt to amalgamate the differences by offering a share in the Government to the opposition led by Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Lafontaine; but this well-meant proposal on his part was at first absolutely declined by those gentlemen, chiefly

because Sir Charles Bagot did not intend to sanction by their admission a thorough reconstruction of his Cabinet. Notwithstanding, however, the failure at the time of this scheme for forming a species of coalition-ministry, these two members (Messrs. Lafontaine and Baldwin) ultimately consented to take office, and had to undergo, in consequence, the ordeal of an election. Mr. Lafontaine was returned for the Third Riding of York, by a majority of 210 over his opponent; but Mr. Baldwin was nominally defeated at Hastings, whence his antagonist, an Upper Canada Tory, had a majority of forty-nine. The election, however, was rendered void in consequence of the illegal violence that took place.

Before the election, M. Lafontaine issued an address to the electors, in which he said:" By the Union of the two Provinces, the inhabitants of each are brought to participate in one common Legislature. In despite of the difference of language, of customs, and of laws, upon which some had founded hopes of fomenting discord between the population of the different sections of Canada, to the injury of all, we are yet linked together by an identity of inter

est.

"Apart from considerations of social order, from the love of peace and political freedom, our common interests would alone establish sympathies which sooner or later must have rendered the mutual co-operation of the mass of the two populations necessary to the march of government.

"Without such co-operation, neither peace, welfare, nor good government can exist in the two United Provinces

"The political contest commenced at the last session has resulted in a thorough union in Parliament between the members who represent the majority of both populations. That union secures to the Provincial Government solid support in carrying out those measures which are required to establish peace and contentment.

"In the present state of public affairs, I now see realised views in which I have fondly indulged, which I have long fostered, and which I expressed publicly in my address to the electors of Terrebonne of the 25th of August, 1840.

"All parties have at last united to declare that the co-operation of the French Canadian population is necessary to the working of the Government."

It is a remarkable circumstance that three successive Governors of Canada have died very soon after they have been elevated to that important post. Lord Durham's health gave way before he returned to England, where he expired shortly after his arrival. Lord Sydenham closed his career before he was able to leave the Province, and now a third Governor was to be added to the melancholy list. Sir Charles Bagot became at the latter end of the year so dangerously unwell, as to give the greatest alarm to his friends. He prorogued the Parliament on the 12th of October, and in a short speech, he thanked the Legislature for the zeal and assiduity with which they had considered and perfected the measures of the session, as well as for the supplies they had voted and exhorting the members to use their personal influence in the several districts to promote the harmony and good feeling which it had been his endeavour to establish.

At the end of the year he left Canada for England, as the state of his health rendered it impossible for him to remain, and shortly after his return he died.

The following letter from Lord Stanley (Secretary for the Colonies) to Sir Charles Bagot, is important as being in fact the ground upon which in the following year (1843) the Imperial Parliament passed an act whereby Canadian corn and flour were admitted into British ports at a duty merely nominal. It will be seen that the reason assigned by Lord Stanley for not making a further reduc. tion in duties on Canadian wheat and wheat-flour during the present year, was the proximity of Canada to the United States, and the danger of corn from the latter country finding its way into Great Britain through Canada, as Canadian pro duce. This danger as Lord Stanley intimated, might be obviated by the imposition of a tax at the frontier upon all corn imported into Canada from the United States; but, unless the Colonial Legislature adopted this course and received into its own exchequer, the proceeds of the taxSir Robert Peel's Government were unwilling to propose such a restrictive duty upon American produce, to be levied by the authority of the Imperial Parlia

ment.

Next year, as will be seen in our next volume, a bill was passed by the Imperial Parliament for admitting Canadian corn and flour at 1s. per quarter duty into the home markets, in consequence of the duty on American corn which was imposed by the Colonial Le gislature.

The following is Lord Stanley's letter.

"Downing-street, 2nd March, 1842. "Sir-In the anxious consideration which it has been the duty of her Majesty's Government to give to the important and compli cated question of the importation of corn into this country, they have of course not overlooked the interest which is felt in this question by the province of Canada, and which has been expressed in memorials from the Legislative body, and from other parties, addressed to Her Majesty and to the Legislature of this country; and although in present circumstances Her Majesty's Government have not felt themselves justified in recommending to Parliament a compliance with the general request of the various memorials that Canadian corn and flour should be imported, at a nominal duty, into the United Kingdom, I trust that the steps which we have taken, and the ground upon which we have declined to advance further in the same direction, will convince the people of Canada that the course which we have pursued, has been dictated by no unfriendly feeling towards the interests of Canada, and especially of Canadian agriculture.

"The steps which have been taken, so far as they go, have been decidedly in favour of those inter ests. By the law as it has hitherto stood, Canadian wheat, and wheat flour, have been admissible into Great Britain at a rate of duty estimated at 5s. per quarter, until the price in the English market reached 67s., at which amount the duty fell to 6d. By the bill which is now before Parliament, the duty of 5s. is leviable only while the price is below 55s., and at 58s. falls to 1s. only. But in addition to this reduction in the

amount of price at which the lower duty becomes payable, it is purposed to take off the restriction which has hitherto been imposed upon the importation of Canadian flour into Ireland, and thus to open a new market to that which may justly be considered as one of the manufactures of Canada.

"In the measures which they have adopted, not without the most anxious attention to the various interests involved, Her Majesty's Government have been desirous, while they gave a general facility of admission to the British market, of disturbing as little as possible the relative advantages possessed by the colonial and foreign supplies of that market. In this sense, while they have continued to the Channel Islands the facilities which they have heretofore enjoyed, of a free importation of their own produce (limited as it necessarily is in extent) into Great Britain, together with the means which they at present enjoy of having their own supplies furnished from the neighbouring and cheaper market, they have not felt themselves called upon to remove from the Isle of Man the restrictions which have been recently imposed on that is land as to its foreign imports, while it possesses the advantages of an unrestricted commerce with Great Britain. The same principle has guided her Majesty's Government in the course which they have felt it their duty to pursue with regard to Canada.

It is impossible to be more fully convinced than are the Members of her Majesty's Government, of the importance to the interests both of the Colony and of the Mother-country of maintaining between the two the most unrestricted freedom of commercial in

tercourse. Even a cursory examination of facts and figures must demonstrate the value to be attached in a commercial, and much more in a moral and political point of view, to the continuance and improvement of that rapidly increasing intercourse; and Her Majesty's Government would have had much less difficulty in approaching the question of an unrestricted admission of Canadian wheat and flour into the British markets, if it had been in their power to look on that question as one of intercourse between Great Britain and her most important colony, and independent of all considerations of foreign trade.

"But it was impossible for Her Majesty's Government so to regard it. It was impossible that they should not advert to the geographical position of Canada, in reference to the great corn-growing States of the West of America. It was impossible not to see that, however desirable it might be even to encourage the transit through Canada of the produce of those States, with the advantage to Canada of any manufacturing process which it might undergo in the transit, a relaxation of duty to the extent of free or nearly free admission would have been a relaxation not limited as in this case it ought to be, to the produce of a British colony.

"It is true that the Imperial Parliament, at the time that they admitted Canadian produce at a nominal duty, might constitutionally have imposed a corresponding duty upon the import of American wheat into Canada, and might thus have placed a check upon the undue influx of foreign under the name of Canadian produce; but whatever might be the view taken

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