The Express.
London, England, 1848-09-11 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER 11, 1848.

offailnailistrative blunders ; bat in nothing, perhaps,
did it ems so egvegliondy eegg as in its telatment of
Oemada, preview* to Witboat mitering
isle tbe isimotiesif its pay, let us kW/renal
to the tesollection of wee Nadal mom of the leading
festers; of its Canadian administration.
One of the chief principles an which it constantly
acted wan that the in /militants of the province were
divieible into two great Mama, the loyal a..d the dis-
affected, and that the line separating from each other
the two political tanks in the province was also that
of demercation between the two classes in question.
Thai, the tory party, as it was • termed, was regarded
and treated as the loyal party, whil,t that demanding
reform was systematically treated as if its alle-
giance had been already undermined, and its loyalty
already virtually transferred to a rival power. oo-
tremors end lieutenant-governors, on being sent to
the different sections of the province, if
they were not raid% insiructed so to
do, invariably acted as if the safety of the
empire required that they should rally closely
around them their own party, and keep the other at
arm's length. Every extravegance columned, and
every en -roaehment upon constitutional rights made,
by the one, was taken as another proof of its
loyalty to the sovereign, and its attachment to the
empite; whilst every complaint uttered, and every re-
, monstrance submitted, by the other, was inspected of
being but another overt act of treason in disguise.
Subs quent disclosures proved h much the Cana-
, alien people had really. to complain of. Th-
-1 catalogue of their grievance' was infinitely
greater than was that, which preceded, and
which the world now admits to have jostifled, the
American revolution. It was bad enough to turn a
deaf ear to the complaints of those who had just
cause to complain, nut when to this neglect was
added the superciliousness of subordinate'', and the
unmerited suspicion of high administrative func-
tionaries, it must be confessed that the cup of their
battler,s was filled to overflowing.
The uninitiated, who thiuk that the Colonial-office
is teenaged in the plain straightforward way in
which business matters are generally conducted, may
imagine that, in all this, the department was acting
with its eyes open, and in full possession al all the cir-
cumstances co tie case. So far f:om this being so,
the C3lnnial department was all along acting in the
prolourdest ignorance. One would naturally sup-
pose that the Secretary of State fur the Colonies
would be the converging point, towards which in-
f irmation of the moat accurate kind, from all the co-

.„.
lonies, would constantly fl+w. So long as we have a
Colonial Secretary, such undoubtedly should be the
caste. Bat a. regards Canada, at least, previously
to the rebellion, there was no department of the
government more ignorant of the real position
of affairs than was the Colouial-offioe. This
was entirely attributable to itself, springing
as it did, from the roles and regulations
I which, in communicating with it, its officials in the
colonies were bound to observe. One of these was,

beariaf, which the Colonial-office and the oolonisl -
executive should permit the people of Canada to settle
for themselves.
There is one question still pending between the
colony and the imperial government, and that is, the
repeal of the navigation laws, as regards the
St. Lawrence. This is a matter of such vital interest
to the provizos that it would be impolitic to with-
hold it. Unless the St. Lawrence is thrown open the
carrying trade of the province will be ruined. It
cannot afford to lose this trade. The postponement of
the question affil be • great disappointment to the
Canadians. If they bear it without complaint it will
be only in the full confidence that next year the laws
in question will, so far as they affect them at least,
cease to exist.