The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-19 00:00:00

by the present Government a spirit of religious dissent.
He would pppeal to the Hon. Mernb,,r, the Under Se-
cretary for the Colonies, whether the officers in command
in Upper Canada had not testified in the strongest terms
to the loyalty, to the active support given to the Govern-
ment by the Irish and Scotch Roman Catholics.—( Hear,
hear, from Mr. Labouchere, ) If so, ought they to be
rewarded by increasing the number of Orange lodges?
There were now 254 Orange lodges, which had their
open processions, and all the insults which they had
been in the habit of inflicting on the Roman Catholics
were almost daily repeated. The masters of these lodges
were persons who held offices under the Government—
( Hear, hear)—and were encouraged by the Government,
which thus made itself a pasty to the dissensions of which
he complained. Some active steps ought to be taken for
the purpose of discountenancing these proceedings, and
unless that were done the most serious calamities would
follow, and the greatest of all would be the stoppage of
emigration there, for none of the Roman Catholics would
emigrate to a country where they experienced such treat-
ment.

Mr. L ABOUC HER E wou'.d not have troubled the
Hou,e, but for whac had just fallen from the Learned
Member for Dublin. He entirely agreed that nothing
could be more lamentable than that a spirit of religious
animosity should spring up in the Canadas, a sprit from
which they had hitherto been almost quite free. And
he could assure the House that nothing was further
from the views of the Government, than giving any
kind of encouragement to Orange Lodges, or any other
exclusive religious Associations. Up to a very recent pe-
riod lie had nut been aware that the evil bad attracted
any attention in the colony; and he had considered that it
would be much better to allow it to die a natural death,
than to stimulate, and increase it, perhaps, by treating it
in an inquisitorial manner. But his attention had lately
been called to papers from which it appeared that the
Orange Lodges had greatly multiplied in Canada. This
had much surprised him, and he thought that no time
should be lost in requiring from the Governors of the
Colony all the information upon the subject which they
were able to afford.—( Hear, hear.) This, however, he
must venture to say, that he was quite sure neither Sir G.
Arthur nor Si: J. Colborne would give the remotest en-
couragement to any system of religious exclusiveness. He
had great satisfaction in stating, that both from Sir G.
Arthur and Sir J. Colborne he had received the strongest
statements of the loyalty which, with scarcely an excep•
tion, had been displayed by the Roman Catholics of Ca-
nada during the late unfortunate events in that prov ince.—
( Hear, hear.) In answer to the quesiion put by the
lion. Member for Hull, whether the Government in-
tended to encourage emigration to the colony, he could
assure the Hon. Member that there was no subject con-
nected with Canada to which their attention was more
earnestly directed, satisfied as they were, that nothing
would more contribute to the internal tranquillity of the
colony, and to the preservation of its connection with the
mother country, than the emigration of British subjects ;
and be could assure the Hon. and Learned Member that
their services were held in grateful recollection.
Mr. O'CONNELL said he never meant to insinuate
that the Orange Lodges were encouraged by the Govern-
ment at home ; but what ho meant, and what he would
repeat was, that the Masters of the Orange Lodges were
in office, forming a part of the local Government, and sup-
ported and protected by it.
Mr. HUME said his Hon. and Learned Friend did not
find fault with the Government at home, but he could have
no hesitation in charging them with gross negligence. He
had brought the question repeatedly before the House, and
he had asked the Hon. Member for the Colonies, whether
the Address which that House bad presented to his Ma-
jesty, and the answer which had been received thereto,
declaratory of the intention of his Majesty to put down the
Orange Lodges, had been sent out to Canada for the in-
struction of the Government there. The Hon. Gentle-
Mere in reply, had stated that no copy of the Address had
been sent out. He had then called his attention to
the Address from the Clouse of Assembly to the Go-
vernor of Lower Canada, and had asked what was
the answer of Sir Francis Head to that Address.
Sir Francis Head had stated that he should take no mea-
sures whatever in consequence of that Address, and was it
not a gross neglect on the part of the Government when
they saw the Governor of Upper Canada neglecting to
enforce the resolution of that House, not to send out an order
to him requiring him to do so ? It was notorious that du-
ring his tour round the province, Sir F. Head had been
surrounded by Orange lodge people, and that he had
shown Orangemen every countenance. It was a culpa-
ble neglect on the part of the Government when they
saw the conduct of Sir Francis Head, and knew what
were the intentions of that House, that they had adopted
no means to carry those measures into effect. He had
asked three or four times concerning this matter and no
nefce had been taken of it. Why did they not lay on
the table of that House any despatch which they bad sent
to Sir Francis Head ? He had stated some weeks ago
there had been a procession of Orangemen in that Co-
lony which had been countenanced by the leading Mem-
ber's of the Assembly and the Government, who ought,
instead of supporting these things, to have endeavoured
to h ive put a stop to them. He was pleased to hear
what had fallen from the Right Hon. Secretary, because
it was the first time they had been assured that the
Government would discountenance these proceedings.
But he should like to see what sort of order would
be sent out. The head of the Orange Lodges was Ogle
Bower,, who had b.2en sent out from Ireland, and he
had stated at the time the Committee sat, that the number
of Orangemen in Upper Canada was between ten and
eleven thousand. They had at this moment 254 lodges,
and in the month of June last the number of Orangemen
amounted to 20,320. Therefore, since the House had
passed a resolution for putting them down, they had in-
creased in Upper Canada to nearly double. Had not the
attention of the Government been called to the Orange
lodges by the Earl of Durham ? Why had they neglected
his remonstrance.' The conduct uf the GOvernmont to
wards the colonies, demonstrated nothing but neglect and
incapacity.—( Hear, hear ) When, two years ago, the
Noble Lord brought forward his resolutions, interfering
with the constitutions of the colony, and robbing the
Colonial Treasury of 200,000/., he had warned the Noble
Lord and the House, not to pursue such a reckless course
of proceeding. What had been the result? The rebellion
of the year following. And, on that occasion, he had
again warned the Noble Lord and the House, but the same
recklessness was again exhibited. It would have been
much better for the Noble Lord to have administered jus-
tice, rather than coercion. lie could not tell why the
Noble Lord, as his Hon. Friend (Mr. Leader) had said,
had not forced on a discussion ; but it was evident there
had been an uewillingness on the part of the Government
to create any discussion in that House. The Noble Lord
at last had said that in consequence of a despatch he
had received, it was not his intention to press the measure
to the union of the two Provinces. Now he (Mr. H.)
regretted the Noble Lord had postponed the Bill on the
imperfect and partial information he had received, because
he ( Mr. H.) could inform the Noble Lord that a public
meeting of a regiment of militia, after parade, had been
held on the 14th of June this year in Upper Canada, who
resolved to petition her Majesty to adopt Earl Durham's
Report as the basis of the future Government of Upper
Canada. They said that Lord Durham had suggested
the only remedy for the evils existing in that country,
namely, introducing that responsibility which formed the
leading feature of the British Constitution, and rendered
it the admiration of the world. The complaint in Upper
and Lower Canada for the last ten years had been the want
of responsibility. The Commission.:rs had explained that to
the Colonial Government, and yet nothing had been done.
The Noble Lord took the representation of a few Members
as the expression of the opinion of the province, and the
Government, by hearing only one side, had allowed them-
selves to be blinded as to the real state of the province.
He therefore thought the House had a right to complain
of the conduct of the Government. With the exception
of one or two paragraphs in the Report of Lord Durham,
he did not disagree with a single expression, and every
report from Upper Canada was confirmative that Lord
Durham's Report contained the only principles on which
the Government of the country ought to be settled. He
aereed with what had fallen from his Hon. Friend the

Nlember for Wcstminter, and should support the amend
went.

Sir G. GREY said the Hon. Member had accuse.! the
Colonial Department of being wholly inactive, and said
that no despatch had been addressed t) Sir F. Head. A
despatch was sent, and it had been twice laid on the
table of the 1-1011:30.-( Cheers.) This was not the first in-
stance in which the Hon. Member had brought charges
against the Government, and called for evidence to rebut
tlic charge when that evidence was already printed. The
despatch was addressed to Sir F. Head, stating that Lord
Glenelg deprecated the policy which had been pursued on
the subject of Orange lodges. --( Hear. )
Mr. HUME said there was a despatch sending out an
order on the first evidence, but there had been no condem-
riatory letter.
Mr. C. BULLER thought the Government might
perhaps have used more vigorous measures for the sup-
pression of the Orange lodges, but he believed that there
was no ground for supposing that persons high in office in
Canada took part in the processions—for there was only
one officer of any rank belonging to the Orangemen, viz.,
the Adjutant-General of the Militia, and he had with-
drawn when requested by the Government.—( Hear, hear.)
The Canadian Orangemen differed, however, considerably
from their Irish brethren ; they were opposed to all intole-
rance, and the health of the Catholic Bishop was usually
given at their dinners.--(Hear, hear.) With regard to
Lord Durham, he (Mr. C. Buller) would not defend him
now, as the Noble Earl would soon have an opportunity
of explaining his own conduct in the House of Lords,—
Refere.,ce had been made to a Report of the Commissioners
of Inquiry into the Crown Lands, to which his name was
appended; but he must relieve himself from the eulogium
which the lion. Member for Hull had pronounced upon it,
seeing that h 3 had nothing whatever to do with that Re-
port, except signing his name to it.—(A laugh.) The
merit of that document, valuable as it was, must be awarded
to his brother Commissioner, Mr. Hanson, who had re-
ceived great assistance from Mr. Wakefield,—the
originator of teat scheme of colonization which the
Noble Secretary at War had lately deservedly eulogized.
Mr. C. LANGDALE read a letter from a friend of
his, residing in Scotland, who had relatives in Canada,
and who had informed him that the Orange processions
were very frequent and exciting, and that in Richmond (we
believe) shots were fired at Catholic houses.
Mr. LABOUCHERE Legged to have the letter, and
he would cause an inquiry to be instituted.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided. The numbers were_
Ayes
1 1 0
Noes
10
Majority for the third reading —loo
The Bill was then read a third time -

third time and passed.
REGISTERS OF BIRTHS, &c BILL.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved the third reading of
his Bill.