The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-19 00:00:00

CANADA.

MONTREAL, Fri 2
Ttemine 'Lotion is ever, and Mr. Chabot, who
was recently appointed to the administration as
Commissioner of Public: Works, has been again
returned for this important city. The event of this
election had been for some time anxiously looked far,
as the main test at issue was annexation, and it was
on this principle orenly avowed that Mr.
stood in opposition to the ministerial eandidatel.Act
votes were, at the close of the poll, foe Mr. Chabot.
2,007 ; for Mr. Legate, 1,203; allowing a majority of
804 in favour of the former. There were the total
number of votes polled out of a population of between
forty and fifty thousand, and a very low qualification
for suffrage. The Quebec Chronicle states that one-
third of the voters held back rather than vote for the
ministry or annexation. The vote was then between
the French Canadians, the followers of Lafontaine, on
the one band, and those of Papinsau, or the " Young
Canada " party, on the other.
The result of this election is an interesting fact;
and the truth is that neither the ministerial party nor
the ardent loyalists in favour of British connexicnosn
find in it much to plume themselves upon. The former
are aware that if the British had gone with Mr. Le-
la. they would have been beaten • and the latter
haw moth ground to be alarmed at dm fact that, in
hes than three months time, the annexationists bare
made such rapid progress that they have been able to
organise such a party as has enabled them narrowly
to eadest the election, in the face of the immense in-
fluence of the government and the priesthood. Both
parties put forth all their effort,. The Quebec Mer-
cury states that it believes the ministerial party em-
ployed 300 carters at a pound a day, and it besides
experded large sums in keeping open houses. A
correspondent of the Toronto Gllbe Mates (and the
statement has not been denied) that the Annexation
Association of this city forwarded to Le garde party a
sum of 4001.
The prospectus of the society for reform of colonial
government has excited coneiderable interest in this
province, and will likely be the means of aiding to
bring about some reforms. A letter of Mr. Godley
to Mr. Gladstone has also attracted some attention.
It is the prayer of many sincere loyalists that the sug-
gestions of both may not be too late to ward off
annexation.
114 to this period seventeen branches of the British
America League have declared in favour of the ap-
plication of the eh mire principle to both the lower
branches of the legislature ; and ten have declared
against it. This fact is interesting as the league is
principally compos. d of tones, while the reform de-
sired amounts in effect to republicanism. Bat while
this reform is republicanism, I thick it must be con-
slated essentially conservative, as our society is
entirely composed of the democratic element. We
possess no aristocracy.
Annexation meetings continue to ba held in differ-
ent counties and parishes of Lower Canada. The
revolutions generally express adhesion to the princi-
ples of the Montreal manifesto. and ascribe all the
evils under which Canada is alleged to labour to the
fact of its being a colony : and that the colonial state
is only in its nature the wasn't!, of independence.
Thee, resolutions are generally prepared by the asso-
ciation in this city; and it is also busily employed in
dissseminating tracts and papers on the same subject.
In Upper Weeds annexation does not appear to
make much progress. But I think the belief is well
founded that the reformers are not much opposed
, to it, although they have shown very little
open sympathy with is. This is expressiog
a moderate opinion. Tie annexationist& claim
them, and the tories charge them with the suml
sympathies. I believe it is true, that among the
Upper Canada tories who are principally composed of
the descendants of the U. E. loyalists, who left their
homes in the states when they became independent,
rather than forfeit their allegiance to the British
crown, there still tries the same spirit of chivalrous,
enthusiastic, and romantic loyalty ; and that many
of them, should annexation come, would again leave
this country. They of course resist the project to
the utmost, and some of their organs even threat=
civil war before it is brought about. Ido not, how-
ever, think, in the present temper of the coun-
try, that this is to be apprehended. It would be un-
just also to deny that the same warm feeling of
loyalty exists in the breasts of very many reformers.
The leaders of the pres:nt ministry, it is not likely',
will ever go for annexation; nor will the Ft such of
Lower Canada, so long as the priests retain their
influence.

-11;;iovernment still continues the dismissions of
annexauonist magistrates and militia officer,. Our
papers teem with letters on this subject. It is con-
tended on the one side that this action of the govern-
ment is arbitrary, and an attempt to stifle free die-
enasion, that more has not been said here than in
England; and on the other that the government is
perfectly justifiab:e, the agitation being treasonable.
In Upper Canada the division caused by Mr.
Cameron's retirement from the ministry, seems to be
rather widening than otherwise. All the old reform
papers are attacking the administration; its only
supporters are now the Globe, Pilot, and Minerre.
Mr. Hincles truly said at a public dinner that the old
parties are almost in a state of disorganisation. The
tories are without leaders, in whom the public have
cenfidence—that is as regards the old leaders. Mr.
Baldwin has hien sick, and it is aid that he will
likely be obliged to retire from public life. Should
this be the case, he being the cohesive principle of
the reform party " chaos would be come again."
Annexation is to be the test question at our ap-
proaching municipal elections in this city.